Carré Otis celebrated a legal victory on Monday, a victory that could have far-reaching consequences.
The model, 56, who sued Gérald Marie, the former European head of Elite Model Management, for repeatedly sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager, could finally have her day in court.
A lower court had dismissed the case, which was filed under New York State’s Child Victims Act, because the alleged abuse occurred in France, but Otis appealed and is now one step closer to victory.
In a celebratory post on Instagram, the Marin County, California-born beauty announced that the U.S. Court of Appeals had ruled that “the New York State Child Victims Act may apply to abuse that occurred elsewhere.”
“This is a huge victory, not only for my individual pursuit of justice, but for all survivors,” she explained. “I am extremely grateful to everyone who has supported me along the way.”
Carré Otis, 56, celebrated a legal victory on Monday, a victory that could have far-reaching consequences. The U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that her case against alleged abuser Gérald Marie can proceed even though the alleged abuse took place in France (pictured in New York City in November 2021)
Otis said she was just 17 when the photographer sexually assaulted her several times a week while she worked with him in Paris. “It became increasingly clear to me that if I pushed back, I wouldn’t work,” she told The New York Times in August 2021 (pictured in New York City circa 1991).
Otis said the 2019 law, which allowed victims of past sexual abuse to file charges up to age 55, and the Adult Survivors Act, which passed in 2022, “left me and many others in our community in has been able to attempt to hold our abusers accountable for the harm they have caused.”
‘This process has not been easy, but it has been extremely meaningful in being able to find closure and move towards healing.’
She then urged New York State Governor Kathy Hochul to sign the Fashion Workers Act, which Otis said would help “prevent this abuse in the first place.”
“The rampant sexual abuse of young people in the fashion industry has gone largely unchecked for decades,” she alleged, “and models continue to work without basic labor protections.”
“As the fashion capital of the U.S., New York must continue to lead the way on worker and survivor rights by passing this vital bill.”
The bill would, among other things, require modeling agencies to “conduct due diligence to ensure that castings and jobs do not pose an unreasonable risk of danger to the model, allow a model to be accompanied by a chaperone, and establish a zero-tolerance policy set. for abuse.” according to the Model Alliance.
If passed, the bill would also provide financial protection.
Fellow model Helena Christensen reached out and wrote, “This is amazing!! I’m so happy for you ‘
Otis said the alleged abuse occurred several times a week at the apartment where she was staying with Marie and then girlfriend Linda Evangelista. Since then, two dozen women have come forward alleging abuse by Marie
Former model Sara Ziff, 41, who has also filed to have her alleged abusers held accountable under the Adult Survivors Act, wrote: “Proud to stand by your side ”
The Adult Survivors Act allowed victims of sex crimes to file lawsuits against their alleged abusers for one year from November 24, 2022 to November 24, 2023, even though the statute of limitations for the alleged crimes had expired.
Otis was a teenage runaway when she was discovered by a modeling scout in San Francisco at the age of 16 and eventually ended up in New York City. From then on, a 17-year-old was booked for shoots with Marie, who was reportedly known for her bad reputation, and sent to Paris, where she lived with him and then partner Linda Evangelista.
During that time, Otis said Marie would sexually assault her several times a week. “It became increasingly clear to me that if I pushed back, I wouldn’t work,” she said The New York Times in August 2021.
Since then, around 20 women in France have come forward alleging similar abuse at the hands of the famous photographer.
After returning to the US, Otis left the fashion world for a while, but found fame on her own, working with photographers such as Herb Ritts and Richard Avedon and modeling for Calvin Klein.
Otis said that after she suffered the abuse, most of her romantic relationships were abusive, including her marriage to her Wild Orchid co-star Mickey Rourke, 72.
The couple married in 1992. During their six-year marriage, Rourke was arrested once in 1994 on charges of spousal abuse, but the charges were dropped.
In her memoir, Beauty Disrupted, Otis revealed that the actor was extremely jealous during their relationship.
Otis said that after she suffered the abuse, most of her romantic relationships were abusive, including her marriage to her Wild Orchid co-star Mickey Rourke, 72
The couple married in 1992. During their six-year marriage, Rourke was arrested once in 1994 on charges of spousal abuse, but the charges were dropped (pictured in London in November 1995).
At one point, she revealed that she was accidentally shot when a gun belonging to The Wrestler star was put in her bag and accidentally fired. The bullet reportedly came within inches of her heart.
After divorcing Rourke in 1998, Otis said she turned to therapy and meditation to help her cope with her trauma.
She married chemical engineer Matthew Sutton in 2005. The couple lives in Colorado and has two children.
Otis still dabbles in modeling and recently starred in a campaign for Dolce & Gabbana.