A struggling single mother filed go well with towards Leon Black Monday, alleging the billionaire raped her in Jeffrey Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse 20 years in the past, new court docket papers present.
Cheri Pierson claims the lifeless pedophile organized for her and Black, 71, to satisfy at his Higher East Facet mansion, the place the legendary investor and former head of Apollo World Administration assaulted her, in accordance with her Manhattan Supreme Court docket lawsuit.
“She recollects desperately yelling and screaming” and she or he “tried to kick” however “he was too sturdy,” the go well with states, describing the alleged 2002 incident.
Black’s lawyer Susan Estrich mentioned in a press release that Pierson’s claims are “categorically false” and a part of her efforts to “extort cash from Mr. Black by threatening to destroy his fame.”
Pierson — who says she was launched to Epstein in 2000 by his ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell and an unnamed Ukrainian lady — got here ahead publicly for the primary time within the go well with, filed beneath New York’s Grownup Survivors Act.
When she was roped into Epstein’s orbit, Pierson was a single mother attempting to start out a skincare line and struggling to make ends meet. She was paid round $300 for every of roughly 5 massages she gave to Epstein on the East 71st Avenue townhouse — the place he would masturbate and ask her to carry out oral intercourse on him, which she at all times refused, the go well with claims.
Pierson then stopped seeing Epstein as he “was not joyful” that she wouldn’t go additional with him. However then in 2002, she referred to as him “in determined want for cash,” the submitting states.
The well-connected financier had a messenger deliver her a card with $300 and the message “compliments of Jeffrey Epstein.” Shortly after, Epstein referred to as Pierson saying he needed to introduce somebody who may assist her — and arrange a gathering with Black, the go well with claims.
Black confirmed up in a enterprise go well with and appeared very accustomed to Epstein’s house, taking Pierson as much as the therapeutic massage room and having $300 prepared for her, the lawsuit alleges.
The hulking 6-foot-four, 300-pound Black allegedly undressed and insisted on giving her oral intercourse, which he did violently whereas holding her the other way up along with her legs over his shoulders, in accordance with the go well with, which notes Pierson was a lot slighter, weighing 125 kilos and being 5 toes 8 inches tall.
Throughout the alleged rape, Black bit her inflicting “excruciating ache,” the court docket papers declare.
After, once they each have been outdoors, the previous MOMA chairman instructed her, “Black, my identify is Leo Black,” earlier than hopping in a city automotive and leaving, the lawsuit alleges.
Pierson says she had horrible vaginal swelling, tearing and bleeding that she needed to recuperate from over the subsequent a number of weeks. She was in ache and had issue urinating due to it, the go well with claims.
Black reached out to her a number of occasions after, and she or he met up with him on two events – the primary time she left quickly after out of worry and devastation and on the second, he gave her $5,000 money once they met on the bar of the St. Regis Lodge, the go well with alleges.
Black referred to as her quickly after, saying he needed to see her once more and when Pierson requested why, he responded, “I simply gave you $5,000!” in accordance with the lawsuit.
Pierson claims Black had turn out to be concerned with girls who Epstein had beforehand been with once they have been underage, the go well with says.
However when the ladies received older, “Epstein merely handed a few of these girls on to Black, and certain different males,” the submitting states.
“Black, thereafter, turned concerned sexually with these girls, at the very least a number of of whom had been with Epstein for years whereas underage.”
Pierson, who now lives in Virginia, is suing Black for sexual assault and different claims. Her go well with additionally names Epstein’s property, which she accuses of negligence. She is in search of unspecified damages.
Pierson was capable of deliver the case beneath the not too long ago enacted Grownup Survivors Act which permits grownup victims of sexual abuse to file go well with throughout a one-year interval – no matter whether or not the alleged incidents occurred outdoors of the statute of limitations.
“Due to the passage of the Grownup Survivor’s Act, survivors of sexual violence like our shopper Ms. Pierson can search the justice they deserve regardless of what number of years in the past their trauma was suffered,” Pierson’s lawyer Jeanne Christensen mentioned in a press release.
“We stay up for holding Black and Epstein’s property accountable for his or her appalling illegal conduct as alleged within the criticism by our shopper.”
Pierson’s accusations first surfaced in Russian mannequin Guzel Ganieva’s personal lawsuit during which Ganieva claims Black was sexually violent towards her for years. Pierson was not named in that go well with, fairly the incident was described as taking place to a “Jane Doe.”
Black has vehemently denied Ganieva’s claims.
Ganieva – and a Jane Doe talked about in her go well with – have additionally introduced their allegations to the Manhattan District Legal professional’s Workplace, which has opened up an investigation into Black, in accordance with court docket papers filed in Ganieva’s case in October.
The DA’s workplace declined to verify or touch upon the existence of a probe into Black.
The identical agency that represents Ganieva – Wigdor LLP – additionally represents Pierson.
Estrich, Black’s lawyer, mentioned that Pierson and Ganieva’s fits are a part of Wigdor’s efforts to hold out a marketing campaign of false and defamatory accusations towards her shopper.
“We intend to defeat these baseless claims, and to pursue all of our treatments to carry the Wigdor agency legally accountable for his or her abusive conduct and misuse of the courts,” Estrich mentioned.
Attorneys for Epstein’s property didn’t return a request for remark Monday.
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