A fashion tycoon has been accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a man he met in an East Harlem bar.
According to a complaint filed in a New York Supreme court, Patrick Cooper was ‘unable to consent’ after former Burberry boss Riccardo Tisci, who has also worked with huge brands like Givenchy and Puma, allegedly laced his drink with an unknown substance.
The designer, 50, was then claimed to have brought Patrick to his apartment, and ‘prevented him from leaving’.
Patrick, 35, says he was ‘disoriented, confused, impaired, intoxicated’ and ‘unaware of his actions and surroundings’ – and the next day woke up to ‘find himself and Tisci naked’.
Tisci vehemently denies the accusation. As reported by WWD a spokesperson for him said: ‘These allegations are categorically untrue.
‘Riccardo looks forward to clearing his name of these false and malicious accusations. He will obtain vindication through due process.’
The alleged incident took place in June last year. Patrick claims they didn’t know each other prior to the interaction, in which Tisci ‘approached and started a conversation with him’.
The complaint then alleges his drink was ‘discreetly tampered with’ when he wasn’t looking.
According to a complaint filed in a New York Supreme court , Patrick Cooper was ‘unable to consent’ after former Burberry boss Riccardo Tisci, who has also worked with huge brands like Givenchy and Puma, allegedly laced his drink with an unknown substance
Tisci – who has been romantically linked to Maya Jama and is known for his close relationship with Irina Shayk – and has been a powerhouse in the industry for decades
It ‘left him so disoriented’ he ‘no longer knew what he was doing, or what other people, particularly Tisci, was doing to him’.
Patrick says the designer then brought him to his home, where he ‘sexually assaulted’ him. The complaint also says Patrick claims he wasn’t conscious at time of the alleged assault, and that ‘as a result of the drugs’, he ‘was unable to reject, fight, stop or defend himself’ from Tisci’s ‘predatory, sexual and unlawful assault and battery’.
He has also ‘sustained and will continue to sustain physical, psychological and emotional injuries’.
Speaking to the Independent, Patrick revealed he ‘just went out to have a good night’.
‘My intentions were never to end up in Riccardo Tisci’s bed. When I woke up, he was kissing me,’ he added.
After leaving Tisci’s home in the morning, Patrick says he made his way to the hospital for a rape kit test and reaching out to the police.
Pictured: Riccardo Tisci and Irina Shayk in 2020, attending a Warner Music & CIROC BRIT Awards house party
He continued: ‘I remember sipping the drink, and I don’t remember anything else… To this day, I still don’t remember anything. Nothing.’
In a statement, the NYPD offered no comment on the specific case, but said: ‘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.’
FEMAIL has also reached out to Tisci’s reps and Mr Cooper’s legal counsel, Philip M. Hines, for comment.
Tisci – who has been romantically linked to Maya Jama and is known for his close relationship with Irina Shayk – and has been a powerhouse in the industry for decades.
Originally from Italy, the designer has dressed the likes of Beyoncé, Adele, Meryl Streep and Rhianna – and even designed Kim Kardashian’s 2014 wedding dress, when she tied the knot with rapper Kanye West.
For 12 years, he was creative director for Givenchy, before in 2017 stepping down to ‘focus on personal interests and passions’. As reported by Women’s Wear Daily via GQ, the luxury label’s turnover increased more than six-fold during his reign.
In 2018, he replaced Christopher Bailey as chief creative officer of Burberry – a position he held for four years.
Afterwards, he spent time between Paris and New York, while mentoring up-and-coming designers, collaborating with Nike and taking part in smaller projects.
Originally from Italy, the designer has dressed the likes of Beyoncé, Adele, Meryl Streep and Rhianna – and even designed Kim Kardashian’s 2014 wedding dress, when she tied the knot with rapper Kanye West. Pictured with Kendall, Kourtney and Kim in 2017
Tisci is known for his years of fashion influence. He has worked with a myriad of A-listers. Pictured with Nicki Minaj in 2022
Speaking to the Financial Times in July, he told the outlet he was ready to make a comeback in the public eye and ‘start a new chapter’. Pictured left with Kim Kardashian and right with Bella Hadid
Tisci has described his upbringing as happy but says his family – including eight sisters – was ‘very poor’. Pictured in 2017
Speaking to the Financial Times in July, he told the outlet he was ready to make a comeback in the public eye and ‘start a new chapter’.
‘Creative people get into a very dark tunnel. Sometimes, everything that [other] people see is positive and beautiful, but behind that is insecurity and darkness,’ Tisci added.
‘I went through that, but today, I’m happy, more than ever, because I’m happy inside myself.’
Tisci has described his upbringing as happy but says his family – including eight sisters – was ‘very poor’.
‘I never really knew my father, so I miss this strong image of a man in my life.
‘So, even though I had a fantastic family, surrounded with all these amazing women, I always felt lonely,’ he told Interview Magazine in 2016.
‘Not lonely in the melancholic way but knowing that, to really survive, I have to do everything for myself.
‘I had to work and study, and I was out in the street really surviving, bringing food back home.’
