BY: DM
Published 6 days ago
Fashion heavyweight Riccardo Tisci, known for his edgy designs at Givenchy and Burberry, is now facing serious allegations. Patrick Cooper, a 35-year-old man, has filed a lawsuit accusing Tisci of drugging and sexually assaulting him in June 2024.
Tisci is known for dressing celebrities like Madonna, Beyoncé, and Kim Kardashian and has been a prominent figure in fashion for years. In 2018, Tisci took his talents to Burberry as Chief Creative Officer. He reimagined the classic British brand, combining Burberry’s aesthetic with streetwear pieces. Since leaving Burberry in 2022, he has focused on smaller projects, including a luxury coffee-table book. Now, his personal life has hit a legal hurdle and the designer has to defend himself in a court of law. Here is a breakdown of the allegations levied against Tisci.
Tisci is accused of assaulting a man.
According to court documents, Cooper alleges that he met Tisci through a mutual friend and later joined him at the Harlem restaurant 2 Sisters 4 Brothers. Cooper claims that Tisci secretly slipped a drug into his drink, making him disoriented and unable to consent. Once the drug took effect, Cooper alleges he was taken to Tisci’s home, where he was prevented from leaving and sexually assaulted while unconscious. Cooper states that he woke up the next morning naked beside Tisci, with no recollection of the events that transpired. He later sought medical attention and underwent a rape-kit examination before filing a police report.
Tisci has firmly denied the allegations. “These allegations are categorically untrue,” a spokesperson said in a statement to People magazine. Riccardo looks forward to clearing his name of these false and malicious accusations. He will obtain vindication through due process.”
The lawsuit accuses Tisci of assault, battery, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and violations of New York State’s Gender-Motivated Violence Act. Cooper is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages. Lawyers for Cooper say that he has suffered “serious and severe psychological and emotional distress, mental anguish, embarrassment, humiliation, and economic damages.”
The New York Police Department appears to be investigating the claim.
The New York Police Department declined to comment on the assault claims made by Cooper – which is standard for the department. Meanwhile, a representative for the NYPD emphasized that the department takes a serious look at any sexual assault claims. “The NYPD takes sexual assault and rape cases extremely seriously, and urges anyone who has been a victim to file a police report so we can perform a comprehensive investigation, and offer support and services to survivors,” the statement reads (per People magazine).
And while Tisci has denied the claims, the allegations could have a huge impact on his career. Before his groundbreaking tenure at Burberry, he served as the creative director of Givenchy for 12 years. He has also collaborated with Nike on several sneaker lines, bringing high fashion to the sneakerhead community.
Do you think brands like Nike and Burberry should speak up? Or stay quiet until this plays out legally? Comment below!
