Bosses at agency 'had league table of models they slept with'

‘Predator’ bosses at Elite modelling agency ‘had league table of models they had slept with called the “podium of p***y”, with extra points for virgins and younger women, whistle-blower tells police probing 1990s rape claims

  • Lebanese businessman Omar Harfouch is helping French prosecutors who are investigating claims of rape and sexual abuse against agency boss Gérald Marie
  • Authorities revealed last year they were investigating claims made by 13 women 
  • Harfouch said Marie kept scoreboard with ‘a few bookers’ to tally who slept with the most women, awarding points based on ages and whether they were virgins
  • Marie, who worked for Elite until 2010, always strenuously denied the allegations

A former modelling boss is assisting French detectives who are investigating historic allegations of rape and sexual abuse at the Elite agency.

The whistle-blower claims top executives had a scoreboard they called ‘the podium of p***y’ where they awarded points for bedding women with more points for virgins and younger models.

French prosecutors revealed last year they were investigating allegations of rape and sexual abuse made against former agency boss Gérald Marie.

The claims, which Marie has strenuously denied, were made by 13 women – four of whom are British.

Gerald Marie de Castellac (left), the ex-husband of supermodel Linda Evangelista (right), is the subject of an investigation by French authorities after 13 women accused him of sexual abuse

They say they were assaulted during the 1980s and 1990s while working with Marie, the former European head of Elite.

Now, businessman Omar Harfouch, who has worked with the agency, is reportedly assisting French authorities with their investigation and has shed light on the culture he claims to have witnessed, according to the Times.

Mr Harfouch, who worked with Elite over three years, told the newspaper: ‘I explained to the police, to help them in their investigation, how it worked.

‘Gérald [Marie] and a few bookers from the agency had a board where they would write down who slept with the most women. The criteria for this competition was their ages.

Lebanese businessman Omar Harfouch has said he is helping detectives with the investigation and described Marie as a ‘sexual predator’ who used ‘vulgar’ language to talk about women

‘The younger they were, the more points, and the more virgins, the more points. At the end of each fashion week, they would compare their exploits.’

Harfouch, whose relationship with the agency ended acrimoniously, described Marie as a ‘sexual predator’ and said he often used ‘vulgar’ language when speaking about women.

Lisa Brinkworth, a 53-year-old former BBC journalist, is one of the lead complainants in the investigation, claiming Marie sexually assaulted her in 1998 while she was working undercover to expose sexual crimes in the fashion industry.

She told the Times she was ‘so grateful’ that Harfouch has spoken out and urged other executives to do the same.

American model and former face of Calvin Klein Carrie Otis, 51, has also accused Marie of raping her when she was 17 while working in Paris.

The former face of Calvin Klein first spoke out about her experience in an explosive memoir in 2011.

A spokeswoman for Elite World Group, which owns Elite’s European agencies told the newspaper: ‘Gérald Marie has never worked at Elite World Group. We find these alleged criminal acts egregious and abhorrent.’ 

Elite is now made up of two companies with US and European arms. Marie worked for the European company up to 2010.

Source: Read Full Article

Previous post Michael Gove tells Nicola Sturgeon to drop focus on independence
Next post Cursed cooking pot locked up for 50 years ‘killed three people who touched it’