Canadian fashion mogul claims at least five women sought to extort him for a combined $2.6 million
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Canadian fashion designer Peter Nygard, who has been the subject of a sex abuse lawsuit, is seeking actual and punitive damages against 30 John Does and Doe Corps. who have accused him of coercing sexual acts and bribery.
In an amendment complaint filed in a New York court on April 30, Nygard accused his former Lyford Cay neighbor Louis Bacon and others of engaging in a pattern of illicit and illegal conduct for over a decade, including coercing the now 46 plaintiffs in the federal-class action lawsuit; filing false reports, tortious interference, and numerous other alleged breaches of statutes aimed to destroy him and his brand.
According to the original complaint filed against Nygard, a number of Jane Does were “raped, sexually assaulted, sexually battered, molested and/or sex trafficked” in New York where Nygard has a residence above his flagship store near Time Square.
In his complaint, Nygard alleged that at least five women attempted to extort him of a combined $2.6 million to avoid making false statements; and in one instance, to delete several purported “offensive” video recordings.
He is now seeking punitive damages, actual damages, treble damages, attorney fees, and further relief as deemed proper by the court.
He alleged the actions of the defendants have been designed to “improperly influence witnesses” to make false statements, reports and “tortuously interfere” — all with the purpose of damaging him, his business and property.
In court documents, Nygard claimed John Does one through 20 actively participating in collusion to the detriment of his name and brand. He also claimed the involvement of the FBI to investigate him was orchestrated under false information.
He named Zack Bacon; Ann Colley, director of public relations of Moore Capital Management; Robert F. Kennedy, founder and senior attorney of the Waterkeeper Alliance; Fred Smith, board member of Save The Bays and council member for Waterkeep Alliance; Belvedere Property Management, a property management entity alleged to have been used as a vehicle to pay witnesses; Wilson Mesa Rand Holdings LLC, a land holding company; Save The Bays, a Bahamian NGO, of which Kennedy and Smith sit on the board; among numerous others of either being aware, contributing or complicit in the actions to destroy him.
Nygard accused a Bahamian woman, reportedly residing in the United States at Bacon’s expense, of having a part in the private witness protection program being used against him.
He alleged she was paid, compensated, threatened and coerced to provide false statements in an attempt to destroy him, and claimed she sought $500,000 to extort him at one point “in exchange for an agreement to refrain from providing false statements and other personal information to the media and governmental authorities or assisting defendant to destroy Peter Nygard”.
The complaint said Nygard refused to pay the extortionist’s demands and she in turn provided false statements for money for use by defendant in his conspiracy to damage him.
The amended complaint outlines several more women, whom Nygard has accused of being coerced into making false claims against him at the direction of his former Lyford Cay neighbor.
He claimed one woman attempted to extort $800,000 in order to avoid her making false allegations about him at the request of Bacon.
He said the money was to sought to stop her from “alleging she had engaged in sex with plaintiff in California when she was 17”, which she knew to be false.
According to the court documents, Nygard refused to pay and in return the woman sought to negotiate, allegedly insisting Bacon was willing to pay her more money to provide statements.
He said another Bahamian women, residing in the United States, demanded in excess of $500,000 in January 2014 for an agreement not to provide false statements, but he refused.
The Canadian fashion designer further claimed another woman demanded $800,000 to refrain from providing false statements that he engaged in sex with underage women, but he again refused to pay.
He claimed a former creative director for Nygard International Partnership, whose contract ended in May 2014, after he met with a private investigator allegedly working for the defendant in breach of his confidentiality agreement.
Nygard accused the former employee of providing proprietary and personal information that would be used to further the scheme to damage him, and assisting in procuring false statements, including “identifying people for defendant’s agent to contact to solicit false and damaging statements”.
He claimed another former employee in The Bahamas published numerous falsehoods in January 2014, claiming he engaged in coerced sex act and bribery.
He alleged that this happened after the former employee and a woman sought to extort him of $500,000 each.
Livingston ‘Toggi’ Bullard was also named in the amended complaint as someone paid to further the scheme to destroy him, his reputation and brands.
Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Michael Pintard is also named as allegedly conspiring with the defendant’s scheme.
More than two dozen more people and entities were accused of conspiring to defame and destroy Nygard in the court document.
According to his legal team, Nygard looks forward to clearing his name by “exposing the actions of Louis Bacon and his con-conspirators”, whom he claims destroyed a much-celebrated fashion brand and resulted in more than 1,400 Nygard employees losing their jobs.
wtf?