Gucci Heiress Claims Family Hid Sexual Abuse For Years
In New Lawsuit
By Tanay Hudson, Heavy
A Gucci store in Rome, Italy.
Alexandra Zarini, the great-granddaughter of Gucci founder Guccio Gucci, has accused her family of being complicit in sexual abuse she experience over 15 years. According to the New York Times, Zarini, 35, claimed in a new lawsuit that she was sexually abused by her stepfather, Joseph Ruffalo, and that her mother, Patricia Gucci, and grandmother Bruna Palombo, did nothing to stop it. In the lawsuit, Zarini accused Gucci and Palombo of helping to facilitate the abuse and threatening her to keep her from exposing the abuse.
It also might explain why the abuse continued until she was 22.
Zarini also accused her mother of hitting her and almost strangling her at times until Ruffalo would intervene and then sexually assault her afterwards. Zarini claimed she told Palombo about the abuse after she asked her if it was happening when she was 16. She said her grandmother told her to keep it a “secret and not tell anyone about the assaults.”
Patricia Gucci
Instagram
In a statement, Gucci said she divorced Ruffalo when Zarini informed her about the abuse and denied that she allowed it to happen.
“I am deeply sorry for the pain Joseph Ruffalo caused Alexandra,” she said in a statement to The Times. “What he did to her is inexcusable and I was devastated when she disclosed everything to me at our family doctor’s office in London in September 2007. I immediately initiated divorce proceedings against Mr. Ruffalo and set about healing my family through counseling. I am equally devastated by the allegations against me and her grandmother, which are completely false.”
Ruffalo’s lawyer, Richard P. Crane Jr., said Ruffalo denied ever sexually abusing Zarini.
“My client has not been served and has not read the complaint. Therefore, he is not aware of all of the allegations that the Complaint contains. What he has been informed of, he vehemently and categorically denies. While married to Alexandra’s mother, Mr. Ruffalo and his wife were greatly concerned about the mental well-being of Alexandra and took steps to address her instability. Apparently, their efforts failed.”
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Lawsuit Accuses Kevin Spacey Of Sexual Misconduct
Against Teenagers In 1980s
Elana Lyn Gross Forbes Staff
Kevin Spacey was sued on Wednesday by the actor Anthony Rapp and an anonymous man, both of whom accuse Spacey of sexual offenses against them in the 1980s when they were about 14 years old, adding to a series of court cases and allegations that have derailed Spacey’s acting career.
Actor Kevin Spacey leaves Nantucket District Court on July 7, 2019 after being arraigned
The lawsuit comes about four years after Rapp publicly accused Spacey of making sexual advances toward him when he was underage in a 2017 BuzzFeed article, leading to a series of other sexual misconduct allegations against Spacey.
Spacey said in a statement at the time that he was “beyond horrified” and did not remember the encounter but said, “If I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior.”
Rapp alleges in the lawsuit filed in New York Supreme Court in Manhattan on Wednesday that Spacey “engaged in an unwanted sexual advance” with him when he was 14 at a party at Spacey’s home in 1986; no criminal charges had been filed in association with the case.
The second plaintiff, identified as C.D., alleges he and Spacey “engaged in sexual acts” on multiple occasions in the early 1980s when the plaintiff was underage.
Peter Saghir, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, told the New York Times the lawsuit was brought under the Child Victims Act, adopted last year, which significantly extends New York’s statute of limitations for child sex abuse.
The plaintiffs filed a civil suit because the Child Victims Act stipulates that prosecutors can bring criminal charges until a victim is 28 years old; they are both past that age and are seeking unspecified damages for emotional distress.
There is more background to this story at Forbes
Washington NFL owner Snyder hit by 'lewd cheerleader video' claims
Washington Football Team owner Dan Snyder and the teams cheerleaders pictured in 2012.
© USA Today Sports / Reuters
There seems to be no end in sight to the successive scandals rocking the former Washington Redskins after an ex-employee accused the team of editing together clips of partially nude cheerleaders for owner Daniel Snyder.
Brad Baker, who worked with former senior vice president and lead broadcaster Larry Michael, claimed to The Washington Post that he was asked by Michael to assemble a cut of behind-the-scenes footage of the undressed cheerleaders from a 2008 swimsuit calendar shoot for Snyder.
"Larry said something to the effect of, 'We have a special project that we need to get done for the owner today: He needs us to get the good bits of the behind-the-scenes video from the cheerleader shoot onto a DVD for him,'" Baker was quoted as saying.
Snyder, who has a reputation as one of the more controversial team owners in the NFL, has strenuously denied the allegations and told The Post that he was "unaware" of the existence of the "10-year old videos."
"I did not request their creation and I never saw them," said Snyder, later adding that he had been refused a copy of the videos by the newspaper which he had requested for an internal review.
It was also reported by the same newspaper that a former cheerleader, Tiffany Bacon Scourby, has alleged that in 2004 Snyder asked her to visit the hotel room of a close friend of his so that "they could get to know each other."
Scourby also detailed a long-running atmosphere of women being objectified within the franchise's halls of power.
Snyder, however, maintains that Scourby had never brought the matter to the attention of the team in the subsequent years which followed. She remains a volunteer for the team's cheerleaders, Snyder said, adding, "I want to unequivocally state that this never happened."
The Post has now reported that 25 women have come forward detailing sexual harassment within the team.
A statement from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell issued on Wednesday evening condemned the allegations. "We strongly condemn the unprofessional, disturbing and abhorrent behavior and workplace environment alleged in the report which is entirely inconsistent with our standards and has no place in the NFL," Goodell wrote.
Snyder, meanwhile, acknowledged in a statement of his own that the responsibility to maintain a respectful working culture falls on him and admitted that he hasn't taken robust enough steps to counter misgivings within the organization.
"I have admittedly been too hands-off as an owner and allowed others to have day-to-day control to the detriment of our organization," he said.
I'm not sure 'hands-off' is an accurate description.
"Going forward I am going to be more involved, and we have already made major changes in personnel bringing in new leadership to drive cultural transformation on and off the field. In addition, we are assembling a world class team of external advisors to both investigate these allegations and create an actionable and measurable plan to change our culture."
Sounds like an admission to me?
Washington Football Team changed their franchise name earlier this summer, after bowing to pressure to no longer call themselves the Redskins - a term considered by many as racially pejorative to Native Americans - amid accusations of long-standing racial inequality within the team.
BBC Radio 2 host Paul Gambaccini, 71, sues Scotland Yard for £150,000 after being arrested and falsely-accused of sex crimes under Operation Yewtree causing 'catastrophic' effect on his life
By GEORGIA SIMCOX FOR MAILONLINE
A BBC Radio 2 host is suing Scotland Yard for £150,000 after he was arrested and falsely accused of sexual abuse under Operation Yewtree.
Paul Gambaccini, 71, said the allegations caused a 'catastrophic effect on all aspects' of his life.
Mr Gambaccini was accused of molesting two young men - whom he does not recall meeting - in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He was arrested as part of the Operation Yewtree inquiry, which was set up after the Jimmy Savile scandal.
While the Met Police did not name him as a suspect, they referred to his age and his home's location which it is claimed contributed to him being identified.
Court papers state Mr Gambaccini is 'extremely distressed and upset' to have been publicly suspect of sexual abuse and that some of his friends, colleagues and contacts - including several high-profile celebrities - shunned him, The Mirror reported.
He was arrested in October 2013 and spent a year on bail before the case was dropped.
Paul Gambaccini, Daniel Janner and Sir Cliff Richard are pictured at an event in Westminster in July last year to launch a campaign for a ban on naming sexual crime suspects unless they are charged
What was Operation Yewtree?
Operation Yewtree was an investigation beginning October 2, 2012, into sexual abuse allegations.
It focused on allegations made against the disgraced TV star Jimmy Savile and others.
Many investigations under Operation Yewtree were for child sex abuse crimes, but others were against women.
As a result of Operation Yewtree, 11 criminal legal cases were brought and seven of those led to convictions.
The operation closed on November 17, 2017.
Operation Winter Key is the force's 'overarching' investigation into child sex allegations against 'persons of public prominence' and institutions such as care homes, costing £20million as of February this year. This £20m figure includes the £1.5m spent on Operation Yewtree.
Several famous names were subject of sex crime investigations under the Operation Yewtree investigation. Some have been tried and convicted, while others were acquitted or have been subject of no further action.
Those convicted included publicist Max Clifford, entertainer Rolf Harris, DJ Dave Lee Travis and singer Gary Glitter.
They are among high-profile figures unconnected to Savile to be convicted for sex crimes under the operation.
Clifford was found guilty of eight counts of indecent assault on four girls and women aged between 15 and 19 in March 2014.
Harris was found guilty of multiple sex attacks on young girls in 2014.
On 23 September 2014, Travis was found guilty of indecently assaulting a female researcher.
On 5 February 2015, Glitter was convicted of attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault, and one of having sex with a girl under the age of 13.
The court papers said that the arrest affected his career after he was suspended by the BBC and not invited back to the Music Industry Trusts Awards Dinner. He had hosted the event annually since 1997 and he was also dropped by charities Stonewall, the LGBT charity, and Amnesty International, the papers claimed.
The papers add that Mr Gambacinni is seeking 'damages over £100,000 but not exceeding £150,000'.
He said in November last year that The Met's public comments were ‘in breach of the Met Police’s own media guidelines’ and his legal right to a ‘reasonable expectation of privacy’ under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
In a defence document, The Met, represented by Anne Studd QC, denied the information released amounted to private information.
In 2018, he received a five-figure sum in damages and a full apology from the Crown Prosecution Service over the same botched sex abuse inquiry.
As revealed by the Daily Mail in November 2018, the CPS had wrongly suggested his accusers had been underage when he was formally cleared of any wrong-doing. It also suggested there was ‘insufficient evidence’ in the case – whereas his lawyers insisted the claims should never have been taken seriously in the first place.
Despite this, police kept him on bail for a year before prosecutors announced in October 2014 that there would be no charges. By then, he had lost an estimated £200,000 in income and costs.
Operation Yewtree was an investigation beginning on October 2, 2012, into sexual abuse allegations, predominantly against children. The investigation focused on allegations made against British media personality Jimmy Savile, but also investigated others, including Paul Gambuccini.
Seven people were convicted after 11 criminal legal cases were brought and the operation closed on November 17, 2017.
Former B.C. Premier and Canadian High Commissioner in London, federal government, face civil suit over sexual harassment allegations
Complainant suing Campbell and federal government over two alleged incidents at the Canadian High Commission
Stu Mills, Sarah Sears · CBC News
Former Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Gordon Campbell speaks at his home with the CBC's Stu Mills about sexual harassment allegations. (Sarah Sears/CBC News)
A Dutch-Canadian woman formerly employed by the High Commission of Canada in London is suing former B.C. premier Gordon Campbell and the federal government over two alleged acts of unwanted touching by Campbell said to have taken place when he was Canada's high commissioner to the U.K.
Judith Prins came to a settlement agreement in 2014 over the two alleged incidents. The new claim says that settlement should be overturned.
Details of a civil suit filed in the Central London County Court and recently obtained by CBC News give a clearer picture of Prins' allegations.
Prins, who lives in England and was an employee of the Canadian High Commission in 2013, named Campbell and the Government of Canada as defendants in her claim. She is seeking damages for lost income and for stress and anxiety.
Prins' allegations have not been tested in court and CBC cannot independently verify her claims.
Prins alleges in her lawsuit that when she was hired, her manager informed her "that she should be careful around (Campbell)" — which she claims led her to believe Campbell "had a pre-disposition to sexually harass women."
The harassment allegations laid out in Prins' statement of claim say that in July of 2013, Campbell "came up behind [Prins] and started rubbing her shoulders." It also alleges that on Sept. 9, 2013, as Prins "was walking up a flight of stairs ... [she] felt [Campbell] touch her bottom and stroke the right side of her behind."
Prins' statement of claim also says her concerns were not addressed during her term of employment. The court documents reveal a mediation session was arranged in March 2014, after Prins' employment at the High Commission had ended.
'An unconscionable bargain'
The new civil claim, originally filed with British courts in February, says Prins was unable to afford a lawyer for that 2014 meeting, which ended with a settlement.
The terms of that settlement have not been made public, but her new statement of claim suggests "[Prins] had no alternative … other than to sign the agreement." As part of the civil claim, her lawyer now argues the settlement is void "on the grounds of economic duress and/or as an unconscionable bargain."
CBC News spoke briefly with Prins, who declined an interview, citing the legal proceedings.
"This has been settled once before, more than five years ago now," Campbell told CBC News in a brief interview at his Ottawa home. "It was dealt with fully."
Campbell said he would not discuss Prins' allegations with CBC News.
Campbell, who served as premier of British Columbia for a decade starting in 2001, was appointed High Commissioner to the United Kingdom by then-prime minister Stephen Harper in 2011. During his tenure in the high-ranking diplomatic role, he hosted the Queen and other high-ranking royals at Canada House and oversaw official visits by prime ministers Harper and Justin Trudeau. After a one-year extension on his term, Campbell returned to Canada in 2016.
Gordon Campbell, seen here welcoming Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall to Canada House in May 2016, was high commissioner to the United Kingdom until 2016. (Associated Press)
"There's a full, independent review that was carried out of these matters, as they should be, and that's where it stands," Campbell told CBC News.
Campbell has not responded formally to the court claim.
'Distress and anxiety'
The claim states Prins is seeking "less than 25,000" pounds (which is approximately $43,000 Cdn) for two years of lost wages and compensation for "loss, damage, distress and anxiety." Her claim alleges she suffers from migraines, has had trouble sleeping and has suffered from severe social anxiety.
The Government of Canada is named as the second defendant in Prins' claim, which argues that it's "vicariously liable for the actions of [Campbell]."
Allegations against Campbell were first reported by Britain's Daily Telegraph in January, 2019, after a woman contacted London's Metropolitan Police "and alleged she had been sexually assaulted at an address in Grosvenor Square" — the location of the Canadian High Commission at the time of the complaint.
Scotland Yard said at the time that police were investigating an alleged 2013 incident but had made no arrests. The Metropolitan Police did not publicly identify any persons of interest in their investigation. Prins told the paper at the time that she made the complaint in part because of the #MeToo movement fighting sexual harassment and exploitation.
Prins would not comment on the status of that complaint when asked about it Wednesday by CBC News.
After his diplomatic posting, Campbell took on consulting jobs in Canada — including a contract with Premier Doug Ford's government in Ontario in July 2018 to lead a commission looking into the previous provincial Liberal government's spending and accounting practices. He also had a part-time job with the public relations firm Edelman — an arrangement that was put on hold when the allegations were reported by The Telegraph in 2019.
NatGeo’s Osama bin Laden doc claims reclusive terrorist used his massive PORN STASH to send secret messages
File photo © AFP / Spencer Platt
A forthcoming documentary about cave-dwelling arch-terrorist Osama bin Laden suggests he used the extensive (and incongruous) porn collection found in the cave hideout where he was killed to send messages to his followers.
When the Navy SEALS who raided the al-Qaeda leader’s Pakistani hideout to kill him in 2011 found what was reportedly a “vast collection of pornographic materials,” some were baffled by what they found there. Why would the fundamentalist terrorist leader have a stash of skin flicks hidden away in his cave?
Why not? Evil begets evil!
But a soon-to-be-released National Geographic documentary called “Bin Laden’s Hard Drive” (no pun intended, hopefully) argues the videos were anything but the lascivious entertainment they appeared – instead, they were used to encode secret messages and orders to his followers.
The documentary in question claims bin Laden shared his last hideout with at least 22 other people, so it’s theoretically possible one of them had amassed the sizable adult film collection. Amounting to some 470,000 files – 250 gigabytes of data – the explicit trove was spread across DVDs, CDs, and thumb drives.
Though the deceased jihadist’s book collection has been public knowledge for some time, no details have been released as to what type of porn he's said to have favored. The experts cited in the film suggest that because bin Laden did not trust email and sent messages to his followers through couriers, some of those directives were embedded in porn films. After all, how better to foil a spy pretending to be an Islamic fundamentalist than to encode your orders in hardcore pornography? This particular theory has a certain genius, though it’s not clear there’s any evidence to back it up.
The documentary is due for release on September 10, a day before the anniversary of the worst terror attack in US history, which was pinned on bin Laden within hours of the planes crashing into New York’s Twin Towers.
Despite having been dead for years, bin Laden’s name stubbornly remains in the news. The niece of the US-trained jihadist leader came forward last week to endorse President Donald Trump for reelection – even though he supposedly killed her cousin, Hamza bin Laden, Osama’s son, in a raid last year. The young man – said to be a high-ranking al-Qaeda member in his own right – was said to have been killed in an airstrike in July 2019, somewhere still unspecified on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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