Content Warning: This article touches on the topic of homophobia and transphobia which may be triggering for some readers.
Former Married at First Sight groom, Dean Wells, has come under fire for sharing a queerphobic post on Instagram.
Dean shared, in a now deleted post, a doctored image of drag queen Charisma Belle with a taco in between her legs to criticise an upcoming children’s event hosted by her.
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In the caption, the reality TV star suggested that Chrisma’s upcoming Story Time event – where she’ll read various children’s books at Manly Library – would be unsuitable for children because “drag is a sexual expression”.
Dean also wrote that he thinks that “being a drag queen is not something that needs to be inherently celebrated or denigrated” before accusing some drag queens of having “serious mental disorders”. As aforementioned, the post has since been deleted but Dean is still facing the consequences.
His management agency, Stage Addiction, have announced that they have “parted ways” with Wells due to the “deeply hurtful comments” he made.

The agency stated that they have and always will celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community, especially as it’s a “queer-owned business”, and the comments made by Wells did not align with their values.
Charisma also responded to the attack on Instagram and wrote an “open letter to Dean Wells”.
She first called Dean “another straight man telling people how to behave and dissecting a community they have had very limited experience with” before explaining that drag takes “many forms” as well as how beneficial events like Story Time can be to children.
“Drag is an artform that has existed for centuries, and it also takes many forms. Sure, in a night club while performing to adults my act can contain adult content, just like a comedian,” Charisma wrote.
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“The humour I use at a club is different to the humour I use at a corporate speaking event, and that is different still to the language I use when interacting with children and their families. The same as a Disney princess acts different in the park, and at home, or at a club on their night off,” she continued.
“Story Time is not about teaching gender studies, it’s about celebrating differences. One of my favourite books to read is All About Families, by Felicity Brooks. It teaches that families come in all shapes and sizes, that we speak different languages, eat different foods, and have different customs. It teaches the importance of having an open mind, and that everyone has differences, and that is okay.”

Charisma also slammed Dean for the doctored image he posted.
“You purposely went through my Instagram page to find the most ‘sexual’ picture you could, to mock up a fake ad for the event. You purposely misrepresented the situation and misguided your followers.”
Dean is yet to make a public statement about his now-deleted post and being dropped by his management.