Epstein affair: 15 ex-models denounce the previous French director of the Elite company | EUROtoday

His identify had already been circulating for a number of years in accusations of sexual violence within the vogue business. He now reappears on the coronary heart of the ramifications of the Epstein affair. Gérald Marie, former director of the distinguished Elite company, is the goal of a request for an investigation in France introduced by 15 ladies, most of them former fashions.

In a letter despatched Thursday, March 19 to the eye of prosecutor Laure Beccuau, these ladies declare to have the ability to contribute to the investigations opened in Paris in February across the French ramifications of the Epstein case. Documents of their possession might, in response to them, doc the hyperlinks between the Frenchman Gérald Marie and the American financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 earlier than his trial for intercourse trafficking.

This strategy is a continuation of accusations already examined by French justice. In 2020, the Paris prosecutor’s workplace opened an investigation into rape and sexual assault on minors in opposition to Gérald Marie, closed in 2023.

For a long time, Gérald Marie was among the many strongest figures in worldwide modeling. Arriving at Elite in 1987, he turned the right-hand man of founder John Casablancas and established himself as head of the group’s European department. He participated within the progress of the Elite Model Look competitors and accompanied the rise of a number of prime fashions, together with Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista – who turned his spouse for six years.

At a time when Elite is the dream of 1000’s of younger ladies, this standing provides it appreciable affect. Gérald Marie is gaining a fame as a controversial chief, famend for his inappropriate habits and his lack of regard for the integrity of fashions. In Michael Gross’s “Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women”, photographer Jacques Silberstein stated of him: “He liked to sleep with girls. His philosophy was ‘If you want to work, you have to fuck me’.”

• Why is his identify related to that of Jeffrey Epstein?

The initiative of those fifteen ladies, of British, Dutch and American nationality, goes past the framework of particular person accusations. It goals to determine the existence of hyperlinks between Gérald Marie and a number of other figures already on the coronary heart of the Epstein file.

In their letter, the signatories declare to have the ability to undergo the investigation opened in February by the Paris prosecutor’s workplace “judicial documents and emails” testifying to collaboration “between Gérald Marie, [Jean-Luc] Brunel and [Jeffrey] Epstein.

Also learnThe French facet of the Epstein affair good points momentum after the opening of two investigations

Former French modeling agent, Jean-Luc Brunel is taken into account certainly one of Jeffrey Epstein’s fundamental touts. He was indicted in France for rape of minors and sexual harassment earlier than committing suicide in detention in 2022.

The letter additionally mentions Daniel Siad, a French mannequin recruiter. One of the signatories, Ebba Karlsson, filed a grievance in opposition to him for “rape and human trafficking” in February, after recognizing him within the declassified recordsdata of the Epstein affair put on-line by the American justice system. According to her story, it was this man who put her involved with Gérald Marie.

“What we want investigators to determine is the nature of the connection between Epstein and Gérald Marie and whether he was involved in wrongdoing with Epstein,” explains one of many signatories, Lisa Brinkworth. The former journalist, who had investigated him, now represents the Victorious Angels We Rise collective, bringing collectively victims of sexual assault within the vogue business.

• Implicated by the BBC within the Nineteen Nineties

In 1998, Lisa Brinkworth, then a journalist on the BBC, infiltrated, along with her colleague Donald MacIntyre, the world of modeling to research sexual violence on this surroundings. Pretending to be a mannequin, she participated in a dinner in Milan with a number of Elite managers, together with Gérald Marie, filmed on a hidden digital camera.

According to his account, Gérald Marie made express sexual feedback to him. Then he “sat astride [elle]” and “simulated a sexual act.” “I thought he was going to rape me. All the Elite agents were laughing,” she told 20 Minutes. She says she immediately informed her superiors who, according to her, told her not to file a complaint so as not to jeopardize the journalistic investigation.

The report was broadcast on the BBC in 1999. These images reveal a world where drugs circulate freely and where women, ever younger, sometimes minors, are treated like merchandise. We see in particular Gérald Marie offering the equivalent of 600 euros to Lisa Brinkworth to sleep with her.

The documentary caused a resounding scandal. Elite then sues the BBC for defamation. In 2001, the two parties finally concluded an amicable agreement providing in particular that the program would no longer be broadcast or marketed.

Also readEpstein affair: Jack Lang, Jean-Luc Brunel… who are the French in the sights of justice?

• What complaints were directed against Gérald Marie?

More than 20 years after the broadcast of the report, in 2020, Lisa Brinkworth broke her silence and filed a complaint for sexual assault against Gérald Marie. Three former models, including Ebba Karlsson, accompanied her complaint with reports to denounce rape or sexual assault.

In their testimonies, Jill Dodd, Carré Otis-Sutton and Ebba Karlsson describe how the former boss of Elite Europe demanded sexual favors when they were 19, 17 and 21 years old respectively.

The Swedish Ebba Karlsson denounces a rape which allegedly occurred in 1990, while she was undergoing a casting in the Elite offices in Paris. For two hours, according to her testimony to the Radio France investigation unit, Gérald Marie tried to convince her to join the agency. “Then he lifted my skirt and raped me, inserting his fingers into my vagina. It was like my head had been minimize off. I could not converse anymore. I bear in mind questioning why nobody from the company had warned me.”

For his part, Carré Ottis-Sutton denounces “numerous” rapes in 1986 in Gérald Marie’s house. She resided there on the time, Gérald Marie usually internet hosting essentially the most promising fashions upon their arrival in Paris. The newest report is that of the American Jill Dodd, who had additionally simply arrived in Paris and stated she had been raped by Gérald Marie, additionally at his dwelling.

In February 2023, the investigation was lastly closed for limitation. The plaintiffs consider as we speak that the brand new investigations opened into Epstein’s surroundings might enable us to go additional. “We have all, except one of us, been raped or sexually assaulted on French territory,” summarize the signatories. “Today, aged 50 to 60, we demand justice.”