Latest news with #Gender-MotivatedViolenceAct
New York Times
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Riccardo Tisci Accused of Sexual Assault in Lawsuit
Riccardo Tisci, the former creative director of Givenchy and Burberry and an Italian fashion designer whose name continues to surface when top industry jobs open up, was accused of sexual assault in a state lawsuit filed in New York this week. Patrick Cooper, 35, said in the lawsuit that he was assaulted last June after he met Mr. Tisci in a Manhattan nightclub. Mr. Cooper said that he and Mr. Tisci, along with one other acquaintance, went to an East Harlem soul food restaurant called 2 Sisters 4 Brothers Restaurant & Lounge, where Mr. Cooper claims Mr. Tisci, 50, slipped a substance into his drink without his consent or knowledge that left him 'so disorientated as to no longer know where he was' or what other people, particularly Mr. Tisci, were doing to him. Mr. Cooper said that woke up naked in Mr. Tisci's SoHo apartment, with Mr. Tisci naked next to him, and that he had been sexually assaulted. A spokesman for Mr. Tisci said in a statement: 'These allegations are categorically untrue. Riccardo looks forward to clearing his name of these false and malicious accusations. He will obtain vindication through due process.' News of the 11-page lawsuit filed in New York State Supreme Court was first reported by The Independent. Mr. Tisci, who is well known for his close celebrity friendships with the likes of Kim Kardashian and Naomi Campbell, left his role as creative director of the British luxury brand Burberry in 2022 after almost five years at its helm. He had previously been at the French house Givenchy from 2005 to 2017. His name was recently linked to the top job at Versace, which was bought by Prada last month. Instead, Donatella Versace was replaced by Dario Vitale in April. In the lawsuit, Mr. Cooper said that after his interaction with Mr. Tisci, he went to hospital the next morning and later filed a police report. According to the lawsuit, which accuses Mr. Tisci of assault, battery, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and violations of New York's Gender-Motivated Violence Act, Mr. Cooper 'sustained, and will continue to sustain for an indefinite period of time, physical, psychological and emotional injuries.' Mr. Cooper is seeking damages from Mr. Tisci to be determined in court. 'I just went out to have a good night,' Mr. Cooper said in an interview with The Independent. 'My intentions were never to end up in Riccardo Tisci's bed. I remember sipping the drink, and I don't remember anything else. To this day, I still don't remember anything.' A lawyer for Mr. Cooper did not immediately respond to a request for further comment. The fashion industry has been rocked by a series of sexual assault and exploitation scandals in recent years, with accusations levied at other notable figures including the photographers Mario Testino and Bruce Weber and the fashion designer Alexander Wang.
Express Tribune
02-05-2025
- Express Tribune
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.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fashion Designer Riccardo Tisci Sued for Alleged Sexual Assault in New York
Patrick Cooper accused fashion designer Riccardo Tisci of allegedly drugging and assaulting him in June 2024 Cooper filed the lawsuit against the former creative director of Burberry on Tuesday, April 29 in New York City A spokesperson for Tisci denied the allegations and said Tisci "looks forward to clearing his name of these false and malicious accusations" Riccardo Tisci, former creative director of Burberry and Givenchy, has been accused of drugging and assaulting a man in June 2024, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE. On Tuesday, April 29, Patrick Cooper filed a lawsuit against Tisci, 50, claiming assault, battery, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and violations of New York State's Gender-Motivated Violence Act. He is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. 'These allegations are categorically untrue,' a spokesperson for Tisci said in a statement to PEOPLE. 'Riccardo looks forward to clearing his name of these false and malicious accusations. He will obtain vindication through due process.' Related: Fashion Designer Alexander Wang Accused of Sexual Assault Tisci is known for working with Madonna, Beyoncé, Meryl Streep, Rihanna, Cate Blanchett and Kim Kardashian. Cooper, 35, alleges that around June 29, 2024, Tisci put a drug in Cooper's drink at a Harlem, New York, restaurant. Cooper claims that Tisci did not offer drugs to Cooper or inform him 'that he was placing a drug in his drink,' per the filing. Additionally, Cooper claims he did not consent to accepting drugs. Cooper claims that 'once the drug took effect,' Tisci brought Cooper back to his home, where he 'prevented [Cooper] from leaving and sexually assaulted him.' When Cooper woke up, he found himself and Tisci naked next to each other. The filing claims that at the time of the aforementioned sexual assault, Cooper 'lacked the capacity to consent' and 'was not conscious.' As a result of the drug(s) that Tisci allegedly gave Cooper, the latter was 'unable to reject, fight, stop, or defend himself [from Tisci]," per the filing. The New York Police Department declined to provide a comment. However, the NYPD 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.' Representatives for Tisci and Cooper's attorney, Philip Hines, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for more information on Thursday. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to . Read the original article on People
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs' Legal Team Claims CNN Altered Video of Alleged Cassie Ventura Assault and Destroyed Original Footage
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' legal team and prosecutors in his federal case are claiming that the explosive CNN video that showed him allegedly abusing his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016 was edited, and that the original footage was destroyed, thereby rendering it inadmissible in his trafficking and racketeering case. Last May, CNN released shocking footage of Combs assaulting Ventura at the InterContinental Hotel in 2016, prompting the mogul to issue an apology video addressing the incident. More from Variety Odell Beckham Jr. and Druski Named in New Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sexual-Assault Lawsuit; Both Deny Involvement Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Legal Troubles, Explained: From 'Freak-Offs' to Sex Trafficking Charges to Million Dollar Lawsuits Sean 'Diddy' Combs Faces Four Additional Sexual Assault Suits as Gender-Motivated Violence Act Lookback Window Closes A filing in New York City earlier today claims that CNN purchased the only known copy of the surveillance footage, uploaded it to free editing software and altered the video. The letter says CNN destroyed the original footage 'even though it knew about and repeatedly reported about the federal investigation.' The letter also states that the footage CNN released to the public was 'substantially altered in significant respects,' including covering the time stamp, changing the video sequence and speeding up the video to make it seem like the incident was happening faster than it transpired. Consequently, the letter states, 'the CNN videos do not fairly and accurately depict the events in question.' Representatives for CNN and Combs did not immediately respond to Variety's request for comment. The filing notes that they will be entering a motion to exclude the video from use in Combs' trial, which is slated to begin in May. While Combs' case is unrelated to the 2016 incident, the footage was intended to be used to show that he had violent tendencies. Combs is currently incarcerated in Brooklyn as he awaits trial. In Sept. 2024, he was charged with racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More What's Coming to Disney+ in March 2025
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Odell Beckham Jr. and Druski Named in New Sean ‘Diddy' Combs Sexual-Assault Lawsuit; Both Deny Involvement
Comedian Druski and NFL player Odell Beckham Jr. have been included in a sexual-assault lawsuit against Sean 'Diddy,' Combs, the latest in more than 100 filed against the embattled rapper-entrepreneur, who has been in police custody since September. Druski and Beckham both denied involvement in the alleged 2018 incident — which includes the victim stabbing Diddy after he and others violently raped her, gunshots being fired and, in an unclear action, local law enforcement possibly being paid off — in a post on social media late Sunday, with Druski calling it a 'fabricated lie.' More from Variety Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Legal Troubles, Explained: From 'Freak-Offs' to Sex Trafficking Charges to Million Dollar Lawsuits Sean 'Diddy' Combs Faces Four Additional Sexual Assault Suits as Gender-Motivated Violence Act Lookback Window Closes Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Attorney Files Motion to Withdraw From Case The lawsuit, filed in California late Friday, implicates more than a dozen defendants — including Diddy, Beckham, Druski, singer-rapper Jaguar Wright and others — in an assault on Ashley Parham and two John Does. Parham alleged in a filing made last October that she had been drugged, kidnapped and assaulted by multiple individuals after Diddy heard her saying she believed he was involved in the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur; this amended filing identifies several of the individuals who were allegedly involved. The alleged comment took place over a Facetime call between Diddy and associate Shane Pearce in February of 2018 and the alleged assault took place at one of the defendant's apartments the following month. Druski, 30, denied any involvement in a statement on social media, writing, 'This allegation is a fabricated lie. I wasn't a public figure in 2018 — I was broke living with my mom without any connections to the entertainment industry at the time of this allegation, so the inclusion of my name is truly outlandish. 'My heart breaks for actual victims of abuse, but I'm fully confident that the evidence will expose this falsehood and the individuals who are maliciously trying to game the legal system to pedal false narratives.' In a reply, Beckham Jr., 32, wrote in an awkwardly spelled post: 'Boy I'll tell u what. This world makes absolutely no sense. I am covered by God. He will prevail. I kno who am I , I kno who u are, keep ur head. That name will be cleared. Shxts stupid.' The lawsuit describes the alleged incident in gruesome detail, claiming that it took place after Pearce had invited Parham into his apartment, asking for assistance with cancer medications that he was too weak to administer himself. He allegedly left the front door unlocked, which allowed Diddy and multiple associates to enter and assault Parham. Diddy had allegedly said at the end of the earlier Facetime call that Parham would 'pay' for her Tupac comments. After Diddy and others allegedly assaulted Parham, she left the apartment wearing just a large T-shirt, carrying a knife that had earlier been used to threaten her. After comments from Diddy and his associates, who were casually smoking in the yard, she allegedly stabbed Diddy in the back, resulting in gunshots being fired. In the ensuing confusion, she fled the scene and encountered a man who claimed to be a law-enforcement official but was actually one of Diddy's associates impersonating one. She escaped that individual and encountered a Contra Costa County Sheriff, who she claimed was later handed an envelope, which she believed contained cash. Contra Costa County representatives have declined comment, according to the lawsuit. Combs, 55, is awaiting trial in New York on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, which he has denied. The trial is scheduled to begin on May 5. Last month, his lawyer Anthony Ricco filed a motion to resign, saying 'under no circumstances can I continue.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More What's Coming to Disney+ in March 2025
