Peril for Peter Nygård
New peril for Peter Nygård.
A longtime friend of Peter Nygård's is being sued by three women who say they were forced to engage in "commercial sex acts" with him at Nygård's direction.
The court filings say Daniel Fitzgerald was a frequent guest of Nygård's and attended his "pamper parties" and dinners at Nygård's Marina del Rey property in California, which were used to "facilitate and enable Nygård's sex trafficking scheme."
The lawsuit which brings much more peril for Peter Nygård was filed in a California court in November 2020, and calls Fitzgerald a longtime friend and associate of the fashion designer. According to Fitzgerald's social media, he is a real estate developer.
In the lawsuit, three women, who are referred to as Jane Doe 1, 2 and 3, allege Nygård forced them to have sex with Fitzgerald and that Fitzgerald would bring a female companion to Nygård's parties to have sex with Nygård.
One of the women alleges that in 2018, while she was in a Jacuzzi with Nygård, Fitzgerald and another woman, Nygård forced her to be intimate with his friend.
"Still acting under Nygård's directions and orders, Fitzgerald escorted Jane Doe No. 1 to a bedroom and engaged in sexual intercourse with her, at Nygård's direction and against her will, while Nygård had sexual intercourse with the other female provided by Fitzgerald at the same time," the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit said from 2008 until 2018, Nygård frequently traveled to California and stayed at his Marina del Rey property. It also says that just about every day Nygård was in town, Fitzgerald would come by the Marina del Rey home "for dinner, poker, and commercial sex acts."
"Fitzgerald's primary purpose in coming to Marina del Rey each evening was to engage in commercial sex acts with one of Nygård's 'girlfriends' or another girl provided by Nygård. In exchange for sex acts, Fitzgerald would always bring a female with him to 'offer' to Nygård," said the lawsuit.
The court filings say Fitzgerald used his association with Nygård and the pamper parties to promote himself and his business on social media, and that he was even listed on Nygård companies' contact lists as an employee.
"Fitzgerald portrays himself as a playboy, entrepreneur and partier that rents luxurious homes in Hollywood to celebrities and 'influencers' for them to throw parties," said the lawsuit.
Another woman in the lawsuit said in 2009 she was forced to have sex with Fitzgerald on three occasions.
"Jane Doe No. 3 was coerced to engage in commercial sex acts with Fitzgerald against her will. Nygård watched Fitzgerald and Jane Doe No. 3 have sexual intercourse for his own sexual gratification," said the lawsuit.
"During the course of the sexual acts, Nygård engaged in sexual acts with Fitzgerald's female companion," the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit says Fitzgerald travelled on the Nygård companies' corporate jet to South America, the Caribbean and New York "for the purpose of furthering and participating in the sex trafficking venture."
Fitzgerald is also accused of luring, enticing and recruiting "young women to engage in commercial sex acts with himself and Nygård, flying them from, among other places, locations in Las Vegas, Nevada and San Jose, California."
Fitzgerald hasn't filed a statement of defence in response to the allegations against him and his lawyer had no comment when reached by CBC News.
None of the allegations against Fitzgerald have been tested in court.
The lawsuit against Fitzgerald is just the latest in a string of cases where Nygård is alleged to have sexually assaulted women, either alone or with the help of his associates.
Nygård remains in a Manitoba jail awaiting possible extradition to the U.S. for allegations he sexually trafficked women and girls over a 25-year period.
Nygård has denied the accusations, saying they are made up to tarnish his reputation.
Last week, a lawsuit which carries even more peril for Peter Nygård against alleged Nygård enabler and co-conspirator Suelyn Medeiros was stayed by a Florida judge, at least until Nygard's criminal charges will have been dealt with.
Vancouver actress April Telek sued Nygård's niece Angela Dyborn in December, alleging Dyborn set her up to be raped by Nygård. Dyborn has denied the allegations. None of the allegations against Nygård or Dyborn have been tested in court. Chapter 29 in my explosive memoir, Lessons Inside ‘the Lifestyle’, leads me to believe that every allegation, every word, is true.
