Riccardo Tisci, who formerly served as creative director at Burberry and Givenchy, is facing a lawsuit in the state of New York over allegations of sexual assault. The plaintiff, Patrick Cooper, a resident of New York, claims the incident occurred in June 2024.
According to the complaint, Cooper alleges that around June 29, 2024, he encountered Tisci at a restaurant in Harlem, New York. During their conversation, Tisci allegedly drugged his drink while he was not looking. Cooper claims that he lost consciousness due to the effects of the drug and later woke up naked in Tisci’s townhouse in Soho, where he was allegedly sexually assaulted without his consent. He further stated that “as a result of the drug, he was unable to resist, reject, or defend himself,” and that after the incident, he underwent a rape kit examination at a hospital and reported the matter to the police.
The case was officially filed with the New York Supreme Court on April 29, 2025. The charges include assault, battery, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and violations of New York State’s Gender-Motivated Violence Act. Cooper is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages.
In response, a spokesperson for Tisci stated, “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.”
While the New York Police Department declined to comment on the specifics of the case, a spokesperson noted, “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.”
Tisci is widely regarded as one of the most influential designers in the fashion industry. He has dressed global celebrities such as Madonna, Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Kim Kardashian. He led Givenchy from 2005 to 2017 and later served as chief creative officer of Burberry from 2018 to 2022, playing a key role in shaping the modern identity of both brands.
He remains active in the creative field, recently launching a luxury handbag collaboration and reportedly working on upcoming fashion-related projects.
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