Supermodel Linda Evangelista backs her ex-husband’s four rape accusers who say he sexually assaulted them while he was head of top model agency
- Linda Evangelista was married to model agency boss Gérald Marie de Castellac
- She says she believes accusations of rape and sexual misconduct against him
- Mr Marie, 70, is accused of raping three models aged between 17 and 20
Supermodel Linda Evangelista has praised the ‘courage and strength’ of the women who have accused her ex-husband of sexual misconduct and rape.
Evangelista said she believes the accusations made by women against the model agency boss Gérald Marie de Castellac, with whom she was married for six years.
In an interview with the Guardian, she said: ‘During my relationship with Gérald Marie, I knew nothing of these sexual allegations against him, so I was unable to help these women.’
French prosecutors have said the 70-year-old is accused of raping three models aged between 17 and 20 in the 1980s and 1990s.
Supermodel Linda Evangelista (right) has praised the ‘courage and strength’ of the women who have accused her ex-husband Gérald Marie de Castellac (left) of sexual misconduct and rape
Mr Marie, 70, is reported to have carried out the crimes while working for Elite modelling agency amongst other Paris agencies.
Four more models have since made further allegations to the Guardian of rape or sexual misconduct, the paper reported last night.
Mr Marie was married to Evangelista between 1987 and 1993.
Speaking to the Guardian’s Weekend magazine, Evangelista said: ‘Hearing them [the alleged victims] now, and based on my own experiences, I believe that they are telling the truth.
Lisa Brinkworth (left), a 53-year-old former BBC journalist, claims he sexually assaulted her in 1998 while she was working undercover to expose sexual crimes in the fashion industry. Carre Otis (right), now 51, started at Elite in Paris when she was 17, and now says she wants to expose ‘intolerable acts by men in power who seem to be able to act in all impunity’
Carre Otis, now 51, Ebba Karlsson, 51, and Jill Dodd (pictured), 60, said they had filed the complaint to try to encourage others to testify against Mr Marie, who heads Oui Management
‘It breaks my heart because these are wounds that may never heal, and I admire their courage and strength for speaking up today.’
Mr Marie is the former European president of Elite which at the time represented Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer.
He strongly denies all allegations of sexual misconduct and rape.
Among those to come forward with the accusations include Carré Otis who claims she was 17 when she was repeatedly raped by Marie in the spare room of his apartment in 1986.
Evangelista (pictured) said she believes the accusations made by women against the model agency boss Gérald Marie de Castellac, with whom she was married for six years
Evangelista was dating Mr Marie at the time but there is no suggestion she was aware of any of the allegations.
Others who have filed criminal complaints in France include Jill Dodd who alleges she was raped by Mr Marie in 1980.
Ebba Karlsson claims to have been digitally raped by him in 1990.
Former BBC journalist Lisa Brinkworth said she was working undercover when she was assaulted by the model boss in 1998.
Mr Marie’s lawyers told The Guardian he was ‘extremely affected’ by the accusations and said he ‘intends to actively participate in the manifestation of the truth.’