Kate Upton took to social media to accuse Guess cofounder Paul Marciano of sexual misconduct.
“It’s disappointing that such an iconic women’s brand @GUESS is still empowering Paul Marciano as their creative director #metoo,” the 25-year-old model tweeted on Wednesday, January 31, which is the same night Marciano launched a new campaign with Jennifer Lopez.
Upton shared her tweet on Instagram and added, “He shouldn’t be allowed to use his power in the industry to sexually and emotionally harass women #metoo.” Her husband, Justin Verlander, also retweeted her message.
The Sports Illustrated cover girl, who was the face of Guess from 2010 to 2011, spoke to TMZ about her claims at LAX on Wednesday.
“I’m excited to tell my whole story, but a walk to the car isn’t gonna cover it,” Upton said. “I think obviously it’s a huge problem.” When asked what should be done to prevent people in positions of power from abusing their influence over others, Upton said, “I think a lot of people around them know about it and need to speak out … not models, the people around them.”
The fashion designer denied Upton’s accusations on Thursday, February 1. “If she has a claim, there’s one place to tell the truth and that’s in court or to the police,” he told TMZ.
