PARIS (AP) — Former American supermodel Carré Otis filed a complaint Friday at a Paris court alleging she was raped and trafficked by Gérald Marie, the former European head of Elite Model agency, in a move her lawyer said is meant to encourage other potential victims to come forward.
Marie has denied the allegations and cannot be prosecuted over Otis' case because of France’s statute of limitations. But the complaint could allow other women, whether their cases are time-barred or not, to join the proceedings, Otis’ lawyer, Mathias Darmon, said in a statement to The Associated Press.
The complaint, seen by the AP, alleges rape of a minor and human trafficking.
Sent to Paris in 1986 by Elite Model agency, Otis, who was then 17, was housed in Marie’s apartment, “mistakenly believing that he wanted to support her modeling career,” according to the complaint. “While living in the apartment, she alleges that she was raped on multiple occasions by the accused, who subsequently arranged for her to be provided to other wealthy men across Europe.”
Otis was never paid for her modeling work, the complaint said.
“The goal is to give other victims the opportunity to find the courage to join our complaint,” Darmon said. “We are opening the door for all those affected by this internationally significant case to come forward and have their voices heard.”
Otis, 58, became a supermodel in the late 1980s and early 1990s, appearing on the covers of Elle, Vogue and Vanity Fair and featuring in the Pirelli calendar.
Marie, a 76 year-old French national, supervised operations at Elite from 1985 to 2010, during a period when the agency dominated the modeling industry. He helped launch the careers of some of the world’s best-known supermodels.
French broadcaster France Info reported Friday that Otis said she wanted to “denounce an entire system of sexual abuse of models that lasted for years in the fashion industry,” drawing parallels to the fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein case.
A complaint previously filed in 2021 by Otis and several other former models alleging rape and sexual assault by Marie in the 1980s was dismissed because the claims were beyond the statute of limitations.
Under French law, victims who were minors at the time of alleged sexual abuse can file a criminal complaint until 30 years after reaching adulthood, allowing them to do so until age 48.
FILE - Carre Otis attends the CFDA Fashion Awards at The Pool and The Grill on Nov. 10, 2021, in New York. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
LEVERKUSEN, Germany (AP) — The legacy of Xabi Alonso still looms large at Bayer Leverkusen. Now the team he led to an unlikely Bundesliga title is trying to find success again with another Spanish coach.
Carles Martínez told the Associated Press he wants to learn from Alonso's example, and might seek the now-Chelsea coach 's advice, but he wants to put his own imprint on Leverkusen.
It's barely a year since Alonso left Leverkusen for Real Madrid, and two since he led Leverkusen to the German title and an historic unbeaten league season.
Martínez arrives from Toulouse amid hopes he can turn things around after Leverkusen started 2025-26 under Erik ten Hag, only to fire him after three games, then missed Champions League qualification under replacement Kasper Hjulmand.
“One thing I have learned a lot is to accept the reality, accept the place that you are (at), and here in Leverkusen it’s normal that the brand of Xabi Alonso (remains) because what they did was amazing and we have to try to take advantage of a lot of things from that,” he told the AP on Friday.
“But also it’s important that now it’s one year without Xabi Alonso. I’m sure that if I talk with him he will try to help (the club) to be better. But the most important is that after one year, come on, (I have to) learn about which type of things was amazing, which type of things Kasper (Hjulmand) did as well, and which type of things can improve, and after (that) it’s keep growing, keep building Leverkusen history. This is very, very important.”
Martínez said he wants to focus on communication with players and building team spirit — something that was much criticized during Ten Hag's brief tenure last year.
Once a Barcelona youth coach who worked with a young Gavi and Xavi Simons, Martínez wants to develop more young talent at Leverkusen, which has a reputation for producing some of Europe's top players like Kai Havertz and Florian Wirtz.
Leverkusen sporting managing director Simon Rolfes told the AP he was aiming for stability in the squad after last season's turmoil, and signings this offseason would focus on “more precise” changes to the team.
“Last summer was a massive change of the squad, massive change of key players. So we really needed to restart building the squad,” Rolfes said. “Last summer for sure there were so many question marks in so many things and that was a challenge, so I think we can take advantage this summer from the things we did last summer.”
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Bayer Leverkusen new coach Carles Martinez Novell smiles during his presentation at a press conference in Leverkusen, Germany, Friday June 5, 2026. (Anke Waelischmiller/dpa via AP)
