Wendy Walsh was 17 when she moved to Paris to be a model. Within weeks of arriving, Walsh alleges, she was raped by Gérald Marie. She is one of 16 women who have spoken to the investigative reporter Lucy Osborne, who has spent the past year looking into whether Marie was a sexual predator
When Wendy Walsh moved to Paris in 1980 to work as a model, she was excited about what the future held for her. But within weeks, she alleges, the former Elite Models boss Gérald Marie had raped her. Walsh is one of 16 women who have made sexual misconduct allegations against Marie, who for three decades was one of the most powerful men in the fashion industry.
Marie was married to the supermodel Linda Evangelista between 1987 and 1993. Evangelista has praised the “courage and strength” shown by a growing number of women accusing her ex-husband of sexual misconduct and rape, saying she believed the women’s accounts of their experiences with Marie. “During my relationship with Gérald Marie, I knew nothing of these sexual allegations against him, so I was unable to help these women,” said Evangelista. “Hearing them now, and based on my own experiences, I believe that they are telling the truth. It breaks my heart because these are wounds that may never heal, and I admire their courage and strength for speaking up today.”
