A former titan of the fashion industry is facing multiple accusations of sexual assault. Fifteen women have come to French authorities with allegations of sexual assault against Gerald Marie, who for decades was one of the most powerful men in the modeling world.
Two of his accusers, Laurie Marsden and Lisa Brinkworth, shared their stories with CBS News.
“I started in New York City and then went to Milan, which is kind of a path that a lot of models go through,” Laurie Marsden said. “And then my Milanese agency said, ‘Why don’t you try Paris?'”
Marsden was a top model in the 1980s. She arrived in Paris at the age of 19. Her agent was Marie, who at the time was one of the most powerful men in the modeling industry. Marsden claims that Marie told him that she would be a star. However, at a house party, he attacked her, Marsden said.
“He jumped on top of me and pinned me down,” Marsden said. “And he tried to rape me. I finally got out from under him and then ran away.”
“There was no question that he was there to have sex,” Marsden said when asked if he believed it was attempted rape. “And the fact that he didn’t stop, and the fact that he was taking my clothes off, there was a point where I said to myself, ‘You’re going to be raped.'”
Marsden says she didn’t go to the police at the time because she thought they wouldn’t take her seriously.
The accusations of the 15 women were presented to the French authorities in September 2021. The alleged assaults occurred in the 1980s and 1990s.
Another of Marie’s alleged victims is Lisa Brinkworth. In 1998, Brinkworth was an undercover journalist working on a documentary about the abuse of young models. She pretended to be a model. She says that she met Marie at a nightclub with other model executives.
“Gerald Marie was by my side, and he was becoming very, very insistent that we sleep together,” Brinkworth said. “And then all of a sudden, without warning, he straddled me and pinned me to the back of my chair, and kind of simulated sex. And this went on for some time. I was absolutely terrified that I was going to be raped.” And I was yelling, ‘No, no.’ Then she finally got off me.”
Brinkworth says he recorded a video account immediately after the attack, which was obtained by “60 Minutes Australia”.
“It was absolutely horrible,” he said in the video.
However, he says he was prevented from going to the authorities because it could have impacted the documentary.
“After dinner, Gerald Marie offers to have a drink at his place. Sometimes he just says they need to talk about work, and finally when they get there, you know, he attacks them,” Anne-Claire Le Jeune, a French lawyer representing the 15 alleged victims told CBS News in Paris, the fashion capital of the world, where Marie was once at the top of the modeling business.
Le Jeune says most of the alleged attacks occurred outside of France’s statute of limitations, too long ago for Marie to be charged. Marie is now retired.
“The modeling industry creates a perfect storm for predators,” Marsden said. “You have very smart older men, and then you have very young girls, 15, 16, 17 years old, who mix it up.”
“It’s completely unregulated,” Brinkworth said. “Fashion actually thrives on the abuse of girls. I mean, they go hand in hand.”
Marie, who is now 70 years old, has never been charged with any crime.
“We are easily attacked,” he said in a 1999 interview, when asked about some of the allegations.
His attorney told CBS News in a statement that Marie “strongly opposes the false and defamatory accusations made against him” and “withholds his statements for the justice system.”
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Source: www.cbsnews.com