Fashion Mogul Peter Nygard Indicted On Sex Trafficking Charges In Lawsuit Eerily Similar To Jeffrey Epstein Case
He's been called "the Canadian Epstein."
Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard, 79, was arrested in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Dec. 14 on sex trafficking charges, racketeering conspiracy, and other related crimes involving dozens of underaged and young women.
One woman who is suing Nygard alleges that when she was younger, his “top girlfriend,” Suelyn Medeiros, recruited her for the “talent agency she represented.”
The woman, who goes by Jane Doe, alleges that Nygard raped her in 2010 when she was just 18 years old after Medeiros “lured” her to the Bahamas for a vacation.
The lawsuit is eerily similar to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s case, and details of the crimes committed by Nygard and Medeiros are equally as disturbing.
Who is Peter Nygard?
Here’s everything you need to know about Peter Nygard, his recruiter-girlfriend Suelyn Medeiros, and the lawsuit that’s making headlines across the globe.
Peter Nygard reportedly used his “influence” and “money” to recruit underage girls.
The lawsuits — one of which was filed in the United States, and one of which was filed in Canada — allege that Peter Nygard used his “influence, money, and employees” to recruit underage girls for “sexual gratification of him and his associates.”
The lawsuits also allege that the disturbing crimes took place over a 25-year period.
Suelyn Medeiros, a former Playboy model, allegedly recruited girls for Nygard.
According to legal docs, Medeiros "lived in Nygard's Marina Del Rey [California] compound for at least five years, received significant cash, salary, jewelry, plastic surgery, stem cell injections and cars in exchange for trafficking victims, including Jane Doe, to Nygard."
Jane Doe’s allegations about Nygard and Medeiros are eerily similar to those of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
Jane Doe, who was 18 at the time of her alleged involvement with Nygard and Medeiros, claims that Medeiros befriended her, gained her trust, then lured her to the Bahamas, where she was “forced to have sex with Nygard” at his private compound.
Medeiros’s lawyers, Jane Weintraub and Jonathan Etra, denied the allegations, writing in an email, "Ms. Medeiros vehemently denies these false and salacious allegations and looks forward to the court dismissing these baseless claims."
57 victims joined the lawsuit.
Almost five dozen women have come forward and alleged that Peter Nygard and his “top girlfriend,” Suelyn Medeiros, used “violence, intimidation, and bribery” to lure his victims.
The indictment also alleged that Nygard chose his victims based on their economic backgrounds, targeting those who came from low-income or disadvantaged households.
Natasha Taylor, a former employee of Nygard’s, said, “He preys on poor people’s little girls.”
It also alleged that his associates drugged some of his victims “to ensure their compliance with Nygard’s sexual demands.”
Lisa Haba, one of the lawyers who is representing the victims in the lawsuit, commented on Nygard’s arrest and the lawsuit, saying:
“The survivors of our lawsuit have been waiting for this day for a very long time.
Peter Nygard's arrest marks the next chapter in holding him and his accomplices accountable for the unspeakable crimes against women and children they have perpetuated for decades.
We will continue to seek justice."
Nygard denied the allegations, and blamed a feud with his neighbor in the Bahamas for the charges.
Peter Nygard and his Bahamas neighbor, American hedge fund billionaire Louis Bacon, have been embattled in an ongoing feud for quite some time now.
The feud allegedly started after Nygard blamed Bacon for not being able to rebuild on his property after a fire, and more than 25 lawsuits have been filed between the two.
Nygard also made claims that Bacon is an insider trader, a member of the KKK, and a murderer.
Bacon has made claims that Nygard is plotting to kill him.
Bacon said he hired investigators and lawyers after hearing of the possible sexual abuse taking place on Nygard’s compound because he felt obligated to take action against Nygard.
“I of anybody knew what it was like to have this guy come at you,” Bacon said in an interview. “So my heart went out to these women.”
While Bacon’s intentions may have seemed good, the water gets a little murky, a New York Times investigation found:
“Investigators and lawyers tied to Mr. Bacon offered Nygard associates generous incentives to build an abuse case against the Canadian — Cartier jewelry, a regular salary or a year’s rent in a gated community, according to documents and interviews.”
The NYT investigation also found that after interviewing all of the women who signed onto the lawsuit, three of the women -- who were under the age of 16 at the time, which is the age of consent in the Bahamas — alleged that Nygard sexually assaulted them.
Two later recanted their stories, alleging they had been promised money and were “coached to fabricate” their stories.
Ken Frydman, Peter Nygard’s spokesperson, claims that the newest lawsuits against Nygard are an attempt “to smear Peter Nygard by coercing women to fabricate and manufacture sordid stories about him.”
Nygard’s been accused of sexual assault before.
The claims go back over four decades. Nine women from California and Canada have sued him and/or reported him to the authorities, but he was never convicted for any of his alleged crimes.
One of Nygard’s lawyers slammed the allegations against his client, saying Nygard “never treated women inappropriately” and said that the allegations against the disgraced Canadian fashion mogul were nothing but “paid-for lies.”
Olivia Jakiel is an editor and writer who covers celebrity and entertainment news. Follow her on Instagram and keep up with her zingers on Twitter.