Fashion heavyweight Riccardo Tisci is facing serious allegations after being accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a man last summer in Harlem.
According to recently filed court documents, Patrick Cooper, 35, claims the former Burberry and Givenchy creative director slipped something in his drink during a night out on June 29, 2024.
Per the filing, Cooper says the incident took place at a Harlem restaurant, where 51-year-old Tisci allegedly dosed his drink without consent or warning. Cooper claims that after the drug took effect, Tisci brought him back to his home, prevented him from leaving, and sexually assaulted him while he was incapacitated.
Cooper says he woke up naked next to Tisci and had no memory of what happened, and says that he could not consent if he was unconscious.
The lawsuit accuses Tisci of assault, battery, false imprisonment, infliction of emotional distress, and violating New York’s Gender-Motivated Violence Act. Cooper is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages.
In the past, Tisci’s close friendship with Kanye West made headlines. They first grew close in the early 2010s when Tisci was the creative director of Givenchy. Tisci designed the striking artwork and tour costumes for Kanye’s Watch the Throne and Yeezus eras. The pair also collaborated on the Balenciaga runway show in 2022 and several other fashion ventures.