22 October 2024
Bianca Gascoigne has claimed Mohamed Al Fayed sexually assaulted and groomed her when she worked at Harrods as a teenager.
Bianca Gascoigne alleges Mohamed Al Fayed sexually assaulted and groomed her
The 37-year-old model - who is the daughter of former England footballer Paul Gascoigne - told how Egyptian businessman Al Fayed used to be "charming" when she met him at the luxury London department store during visits with her parents, Paul and her mother Sheryl Gascoigne, and afterwards she initially felt "safe" in his presence when she worked at Harrods aged 16.
However, Bianca has claimed Al Fayed - who died in August 2023 aged 94 - used to grope her, forced her to kiss him during weekly meetings, and she recalled an "horrific" incident when Al Fayed once lent her Harrods' Park Lane apartment to stay in the night before a flight, but she was left "shell-shocked" when he allegedly turned up at the flat and sexually assaulted her.
Speaking on Sky News' The UK Tonight with Sarah-Jane Mee, she said: "[Al Fayed] turned up at the apartment to my shock, I was just gobsmacked, I was kind of very shell-shocked.
"I just didn't really know what to do, he came in and then he sat me down on the sofa... he got his privates out and got my hands and was trying to manoeuvre them on his parts.
"When that didn't work he was trying to force my head on to his lap.
"And I don't know how but I managed to wiggle away.
"And I think possibly you know, that him knowing my parents... I don't know, that might have saved me at that moment. But it was horrific."
The 'Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins' star's claims come after several women have come forward to make allegations against the self-made billionaire following his passing last year.
Following the release of last month's BBC documentary, 'Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods' - in which five women claimed they were raped by the entrepreneur - the Metropolitan Police revealed it had recorded 60 allegations against Al Fayed, some including rape and sexual assault claims.
It has since been revealed 21 women made sex crime allegations against him between 2005 and 2023.
Harrods are now in the process of speaking to more than 250 people about compensation claims over alleged sexual misconduct by Al Fayed.
The department store said in a statement: "Since 2023, Harrods settled a number of claims with women who alleged historic sexual misconduct by Fayed.
"Since the airing of the documentary, so far there are over 250 individuals who are now in Harrods’ process to settle claims directly with the business."
Scotland Yard has insisted a "detailed and thorough" review of allegations against Al Fayed is underway.
A support group, Justice for Harrods Survivors, has said their lawyers are working with 147 women.
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