Canada’s Drag Race star Ilona Verley said they were punched by a bouncer while attending an LGBTQ+ nightclub. On 21 April, the 27-year-old attended the Paparazzi Nightclub in Victoria, British Columbia.
At the start of the evening, the Drag Race star posted videos of themselves enjoying their time at the venue. However, later in the evening, Ilona told her followers that they had been assaulted by the aforementioned staff member. “I was just attacked by the bouncer at Paparazzi Nightclub Victoria,” they said. “The manager laughed in my face and told me that transphobia isn’t real because I’m a b***h… this sh*t is not ok.
Being told I’m a b***h for standing my ground and knowing my rights is getting old.” Alongside their Instagram posts, Ilona opened up about the incident in a now-deleted tweet. “I can’t believe I got punched in my cheek filler the first night I debuted my new face.
Transphobia is alive and well here in Victoria at Paparazzi Nightclub,” they tweeted. The following day, Ilona thanked fans for their support and kind words in an additional tweet. “Thank you to those that reached out after my tweets from last night.