Former MAFS star Dean Wells dropped by management for posting transphobic drag queen photo

Former Married At First Sight groom Dean Wells has been dumped by his management after posting a transphobic doctored image of a drag queen.

Dean Wells (left) and drag queen Charisma Belle.

WARNING: This story contains offensive and transphobic language that may be distressing to some readers.

Former Married At First Sight groom Dean Wells has been dumped by his management and panned on social media after posting a transphobic doctored image of a drag queen for a children’s story time event.

Last week, the reality TV personality shared a photoshopped Instagram post to attack an upcoming children’s event hosted by Sydney drag queen Charisma Belle at Manly Library.

The post, which has since been deleted, included a doctored image of Charisma spreading her legs with a taco in her crotch, and a caption that suggested such an event would be harmful to children.

MAFS alum Dean Wells has been dumped by his management for making transphobic comments about a kids’ event hosted by Charisma Belle (right).

Wells expressed concern at “tax dollars” being spent to pay drag queens to read to “kids as young as three, usually about gender identity and from an extremist left wing perspective”.

“I honestly do not get what the cultural benefit of this is and think it is sending confusing messages to kids,” he wrote.

He accused drag queens of being “inherently sexual” and said some had “serious mental disorders that need to be dealt with and should not be glorified or celebrated in any way”.

The post was met with fast and ferocious public backlash – and his management agents, Stage Addiction were quick to announce they had parted ways.

The Instagram post said while he’s “impartial” to drag, he was concerned by the Drag Queen Story Time.

“As a queer-owned business, Stage Addiction has always and will always celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community,” the agency wrote on its Instagram story.

“The deeply hurtful comments made today by Dean Wells do not align with our values and as such we have parted ways.”

Stage Addiction represents many of Australia’s most progressive stars, including Abbie Chatfield, drag queen Art Simone, and Bachelorette Angie Kent.

News.com.au has approached Stage Addiction for comment.

Charisma Belle also responded to the attack, saying Wells was “another straight man telling people how to behave and dissecting a community they have had very limited experience with”.

“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,” she wrote in an Instagram post.

Charisma addressed Wells’ apparent concern for taxpayers’ funds being misused, saying the parents of children who attend “paid their fair share (of tax) and are obviously happy that the event exists”.

Charisma Belle is an award-winning Sydney drag queen and host of Manly Library’s Drag Queen Story Time Picture: Instagram (@charismabelle)

“The small amount we are paid for such events will not build a house or stop starvation, but it could help in building a safer environment for young LGBTIQA kids later in life. These small events could even save lives,” she wrote.

“Story Time is not just about the kids. It’s about the whole family. After reading to the children, I spend time chatting with the parents and answering any questions that might arise.

“Story Time is for parents that want their kids to grow up to be well adjusted human beings.”

News.com.au has approached Charisma Belle for comment.

Drag Queen Story Time is set to go ahead on February 25 at Manly Library – which has not responded to news.com.au’s requests for comment.

Northern Beaches Council’s web page for the event says it is a family event suitable for children aged three years and older. The website said Story Time will “feature stories and songs celebrating family, love and being yourself”.

Originally published as Former MAFS star Dean Wells dropped by management for posting transphobic drag queen photo