Veteran supermodel Linda Evangelista has responded to the mounting allegations of sexual assault against her ex-husband Gérald Marie.
Speaking to The Guardian, Evangelista, who was married to Marie from 1987 to 1993, addressed the accusations.
“During my relationship with Gérald Marie, I knew nothing of these sexual allegations against him, so I was unable to help these women,” she said.
“Hearing them now, and based on my own experiences, I believe that they are telling the truth.”
The supermodel also went as far as to praise the brave women for sharing their stories.
“It breaks my heart because these are wounds that may never heal, and I admire their courage and strength for speaking up today,” she said.
Marie is the former president of Elite Model Management—the agency responsible for launching the careers of Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer and Cindy Crawford, to name a few.
Allegedly taking place between 1980 to 1998—when Marie was a key figure in the French fashion industry—the women opened up about the circumstances which led to the alleged attacks during an investigation by The Guardian, including how Marie apparently used promises of success to coerce and intimidate aspiring models.
Much like that of Harvey Weinstein, Marie’s power and connections in the industry reportedly inhibited women from coming forward about their experiences at the time.
Last month, French prosecutors announced that they had opened an investigation into the 70-year-old, after a criminal complaint from four women, including a journalist that was undercover for the BBC, taking the total number of public accusers up to nine.
In a statement made to the Sunday Times, Marie denied the allegations.
“It would not be appropriate for me to comment at this time on the allegations of historic wrongdoing being made against me, other than to make it clear that I categorically deny them,” he said.
