Italian fashion designer Ricardo Tisci accused of sexual assault
Fashion designer Riccardo Tisci, known for his former creative director roles at Burberry and Givenchy, is facing serious legal accusations following a lawsuit filed in New York.
According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Patrick Cooper, 35, filed the suit on Tuesday, April 29, naming the 50-year-old designer as the perpetrator of assault, battery, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and violations of New York State's Gender-Motivated Violence Act.
Cooper is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages.
'These allegations are categorically untrue,' a spokesperson for Tisci said in a statement. 'Riccardo looks forward to clearing his name of these false and malicious accusations. He will obtain vindication through due process.'
The lawsuit centers around an alleged incident that occurred on or around June 29, 2024, when Cooper claims that Tisci drugged his drink without consent while they were at a restaurant in Harlem, New York.
The legal filing asserts that Tisci did not offer Cooper any drugs or inform him that a drug was being added to his beverage. Cooper maintains he did not give consent to consume any drugs.
After the alleged drug took effect, Tisci is accused of taking Cooper to his home, where the filing states the designer "prevented [Cooper] from leaving and sexually assaulted him.'
Cooper alleges that when he regained consciousness, he found himself naked in bed beside Tisci, who was also nude.
The court documents claim that at the time of the alleged sexual assault, Cooper 'lacked the capacity to consent' and 'was not conscious.'
It further states that due to the alleged drug administered by Tisci, Cooper was 'unable to reject, fight, stop, or defend himself [from Tisci].'
While the New York Police Department (NYPD) has not issued a direct comment on the case, a representative said: 'The NYPD takes sexual assault and rape cases extremely seriously, and urges anyone who has been a victim to file a police report so we can perform a comprehensive investigation, and offer support and services to survivors.'
As of now, no criminal charges have been filed.
The case remains a civil matter, but it marks a potentially seismic development for Tisci, whose name has long been associated with the upper echelon of the global fashion world.
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