Jewish billionaire Leon Black is continuing to fend off accusations that he victimized his former girlfriend Güzel Ganieva. Ganieva sued Black, claiming that she became of a victim of sex trafficking at his hands when the billionaire “loaned” her to the late pedophile and rapist Jeffrey Epstein.
Black’s lawyers filed new papers on Wednesday in response to the suit. “It speaks volumes that these outlandish allegations are only now appearing for the very first time,” said the filing. Black also asserted that he has audio tapes from six years ago in which he states that Ganieva never met Epstein. If this is so, then it will be asked in court why he would have stated that back then.
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“Black’s billions and his powerful connections will not prevent the truth from coming out,” Ganieva’s attorney Jeanne Christensen said in a statement. “We are confident that a jury of Ms. Ganieva’s peers will hold Black accountable for Black’s horrific conduct as alleged in our complaint by Ms. Ganieva.”
In June, One Güzel Ganieva accuses Black of coercing her into silence after committing acts of sexual violence against her as well as defamation.
The 69 year old Wall Street power player was supposed to stay on with Apollo Global Management until the end of this year. However, Leon Black was forced to abruptly resign in March, after announcing his retirement in January of this year. But even his “retirement” was not entirely voluntary. Black was pushed into it after a plethora of revelations were made about his relationship with the late rapist and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The decision to step aside came after several years of speculation as to what exactly Black’s relationship with Epstein was. And now the lawsuit.
Guzel Ganieva has stated that in 2008, when she was still in her twenties, Leon Black met her at a New York event marking International Women’s Day. After they met, she maintains that Black took her to a studio apartment where he “forced sadistic sexual acts” on her on a mattress on the floor.
“The problem for Ms. Ganieva is that the entire Epstein storyline is made up … and there is overwhelming documentary proof that she has lied once again and that she has been caught red-handed once again,” Black’s attorney Danya Perry said in a statement sent to Forbes. “Mr. Black intends to hold responsible all those involved in this fraudulent scheme for the damage they have caused Mr. Black and his family.”
