American Apparel founder Dov Charney was hit with a blockbuster lawsuit that alleges he made a teen employee perform sex acts on him on her 18th birthday.
The lawsuit demands $250 million and accuses Charney of keeping a teenager as a sex slave.
American Apparel didn’t return calls for comment yesterday afternoon.
Brooklyn Supreme Court documents accuse Charney of requiring the woman to have sex with him when she turned 18 in order to be promoted.
First, the suit alleges, he harassed her when she was a sales associate in high school, telling her that to keep her job she needed to detail her sexual history and send him explicit photos.
On her 18th birthday, he allegedly summoned her to his Manhattan apartment, answered the door nearly nude and forced her to perform sex acts, finally holding her prisoner.
The woman said she suffered a nervous breakdown and “psychological abuse.”
American Apparel is known for racy ads and a murky legal history.
Because the lawsuit is a civil issue, Charney is not yet subject to criminal court — and a Manhattan district attorney’s office spokeswoman said because the woman didn’t file criminal charges, they have no immediate plans to prosecute.
Charney has also juggled sexual-harassment lawsuits and previously settled a lawsuit with Woody Allen.
Sordid past
This isn’t Charney’s first time in court.
» In 2008, he fought a sexual harassment lawsuit — his fourth — charging he held meetings in his underwear.
» In 2009, he settled a lawsuit with Woody Allen after he used a photo of the director dressed as a Hasidic Jew in American Apparel billboards.
Follow Alison Bowen on Twitter at @alisonatmetro.
