Wall Street billionaire and former Jeffrey Epstein associate Leon Black is accused of being a 'violent and sadistic' sexual predator by a former model who claims he raped her before coercing her into signing an NDA
The Wall Street billionaire who stood by Jeffery Epstein long after others deserted him has been accused of being a, 'violent, sadistic' sexual predator who raped and harassed a former model then coerced her into signing an NDA.
These are the central allegations of a defamation lawsuit brought by former model Guzel Ganieva against Leon Black, once one of the City's most powerful executives as the former CEO of Apollo Global Management.
Black, 69, resigned his position as head of the massive investment firm on March 22, just days after Ganieva went public with her claims that Black had 'abused' her 'for years.'
Black has denied that his resignation had anything to do with the series of tweets posted by Ganieva, 38, in which she claimed that the abuse at Black's hands started in 2008, when she met with him to discuss work and continued until 2015 when he forced her to sign an NDA.
Leon Black (right), once one of New York City's most powerful executives as the CEO of Apollo Global Management, has been accused of rape, DailyMail.com can reveal. Black was an associate of Jeffrey Epstein (left) and long stood by the pedophile. Pepe Fanjul is pictured center
Former model Guzel Ganieva accuses Black of being a 'violent, sadistic' sexual predator who raped and harassed her then coerced her into signing an NDA
She tweeted, 'When I refused his sexual advances I was bullied, manipulated, threatened and coerced. Similarly, under duress I was forced to sign an NDA in 2015.'
She claimed, 'I am breaking my silence now because I do not want this type of predatory behavior to continue happening to other women.'
Black, who has described his decision to give Epstein a 'second chance' as, 'a terrible mistake,' hit back by describing the relationship as a 'consensual affair,' into which he entered 'foolishly.'
In an article published by Bloomberg on April 8, Black said, 'Any allegation or any other inappropriate behavior towards her is completely fabricated.'
He went onto to claim, 'The truth is that I have been extorted by Ms. Ganieva for years and I made substantial monetary payments to her, based on her threats to go public concerning our relationship, in an attempt to spare my family from public embarrassment.'
The lawsuit filed on Ganieva's behalf by Widgdor Law describes this statement as malicious and 'right from the playbook of scores of wealthy and powerful men facing similar accusations.'
Comparing Black to Harvey Weinstein, Bill O'Reilly, Paul Haggis and Alan Dershowitz and Russell Simmons all of whom accused their own would-be accusers of attempted 'shake downs' the suit dismisses his claims as false and defamatory.
And it states, 'For too long, wealthy men like Black have enjoyed an unequal access to justice unavailable to the average citizen…. The truth will reveal a violent, sadistic side to Black that he has shielded from public view for decades.'
Black has denied that his resignation had anything to do with the series of tweets posted by Ganieva, 38, in which she claimed that the abuse at Black's hands started in 2008, when she met with him to discuss work and continued until 2015 when he forced her to sign an NDA
The suit alleges that Black threatened Ganieva that he would, 'put her in prison,' and told her that to speak out would be 'suicide.'
According to the suit, 'like a master chess player… Black was many moves ahead of Ms. Ganieva from the moment he met her.'
Black allegedly 'picked her out of a crowd' in March 2008 while attending an International Women's Day event in New York City.
Black is seen with his wife Debra Black in 2017
The single mother, then in her twenties, had recently moved from Russia to the United States. According to her case, 'It was easy work for Black to convince Ms. Ganieva to dine with him at La Grenouille where he planned to tell her exactly how he could help with her future.'
Black allegedly gained Ganieva's trust so that he could betray it while Ganieva was flattered and naïve as to his intentions.
The suit states, 'Naively Ms Ganieva believed that Black was not interested in her sexually, simply because she told him that their relationship would not be sexual.
'Black, however, is a ruthless planner and a man that gets what he wants.'
Once he got her alone and out of view of his employees, Black allegedly, 'forced sadistic sexual acts on her without her consent and despite her saying no.'
The first time this allegedly happened was 2008 when Black took Ms. Ganieva to 'a studio apartment with a mattress on the floor and no other furniture.'
'Humiliated and in shock,' the suit claims, 'Ms. Ganieva never uttered a word about what had been done to her.'
Over the next several years Ms. Ganieva, it claims, 'endured a cycle of intimidation, abuse and humiliation by Black that on numerous occasions included forced sexual conduct against her will.'
Many of these alleged occasions were, according to the suit, 'perpetrated by Black in order for him to indulge in sadistic sexual acts that were physically painful to Ms Ganieva and to which she never consented.'
Ganieva claims that among Black's tactics was the promise to help with her child's educations and to help her with an application to Harvard Business School because of his strong relationships there.
The lawsuit filed on Ganieva's behalf by Widgdor Law describes Black's denial as malicious and 'right from the playbook of scores of wealthy and powerful men facing similar accusations.'
Black stands accused of constantly belittling Ganieva, forcing her to walk behind him in public. He allegedly criticized her clothing and make-up and she claims that he 'berated' her for refusing to agree to threesomes with other women.
Standing 6ft 5 tall and weighing in at 300lbs Ganieva alleges that Black also physically intimidated her by clenching his fists, pounding on furniture and repetitive cracking of his knuckles.
In 2011 and 2013 Black offered Ganieva two loans of $480,000 to be paid in installments of $60,000 a month and ultimately repaid in full with an interest rate of 5 percent.
This was, the suit states, money she could not possibly return. In 2014, Ganieva alleges that Black raped her when she was sick at home and so weak she could barely walk.
Her suit claims, 'Never a match for his physical size and strength on this day in particular Ms. Ganieva knew what fate was in store.'
It goes onto claim that, after he had finished, Black stated, 'Now I have f**** you,' before walking out leaving Ganieva naked and unable to move.
The following year Black allegedly offered 'forgiveness' on Ganieva's loans on condition that she signed an NDA.
Today her lawyers have described Black's recent claims that Ganieva has extorted him as utterly false and malicious.
She is asking for damages and a permanent injunction restraining Black and any of his representatives of his from having any contact with her.
Wigdor LLP partner Jeanne M Christensen described the case as 'the epitome of why #MeToo exists.'
She said, 'In textbook fashion, men with wealth, power and an army of elite lawyers continue to escape accountability for their heinous acts by twisting the legal system to penalize their victims for speaking up. Sadly, until prosecutors consistently go after sexual predators that wrongly accuse sexual assault victims of extortion, it is clear that #MeToo has many miles to go.'
