Bianca Gascoigne has said she was sexually assaulted by the late Mohamed Al Fayed when she worked at Harrods as a teenager.
Ms Gascoigne is just one of many women have said they were assaulted by the former Harrods owner.
The mother of one recounted the ordeal in an emotional Sky News interview, saying the businessman would sexually assault and forcibly kiss her during meetings while she worked at the department store. The 37-year-old model said she “just didn't really know what to do” when the he launched his attacks on her.
She said the abuse began when she joined Harrods aged 16. The daughter of ex-England footballer Paul Gascoigne said she had visited the store with her parents growing up, and Al Fayed would bring them gifts. She told the broadcaster that she initially felt safe when she joined Harrods as a teenager until Al Fayed, who owned the store, began to sexually assault her.
Her comments come after Harrods said more than 250 people are part of its process to settle compensation for its former owner’s alleged sexual misconduct.
Here’s what we know about the allegations against the late businessman.
Who was Mohamed Al Fayed?
Mohamed Al Fayed was an Egyptian billionaire who owned the department store Harrods. He died in August 2023 aged 94 and since then, a large number of women have stepped forward to say he abused them.
He was born in Alexandria, Egypt, sold lemonade from the roadside before starting work for the Saudi businessman and arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. He then launched his own shipping business and moved to the UK in the 1970s in the hope of expanding his business empire.
He was already wealthy when he arrived and in 1979, with his brother Ali, Al Fayed bought the Paris Ritz hotel. His aim was to own Harrods, something he achieved in 1985.
Al Fayed also bought football club Fulham in 1997, and the team later made it into the Premier League. In 2011, two years after Michael Jackson’s death, Al Fayed erected a statue of his pop singer friend at the Craven Cottage ground but when he sold the club in 2013, the statue was taken down.
He was also involved in a high-profile war of words following the death of Princess Diana and his son Dodi, who had been spending time together in Paris when they were involved in a car crash in 1997. Both of them died and it was later found that the driver – Al Fayed’s employee Henri Paul – was over the alcohol limit at the time of the crash.
Al Fayed claimed Diana was pregnant, that the couple were to be engaged, and he believed they had been murdered. The inquest found there was “no evidence” to support these claims.
What are the allegations against him?
Al Fayed was first accused of sexual abuse in the late 1980s, but the allegations did not lead to criminal charges. In 2009, the Crown Prosecution Service decided against prosecuting when a 15-year-old came forward to say he had sexually assaulted her. He denied the allegations.
Since his death, a large number of women have come forward.
The BBC’s Al Fayed: Predator At Harrods documentary was released in September and reported the claims of five women who said they were raped by Al Fayed, with a number of others alleging sexual misconduct.
Harrods has said more than 250 people are part of its process to settle compensation claims over alleged historical sexual misconduct by Mohamed Al Fayed.
The London department store said it had “settled a number of claims with women” made against its former owner since last year.
Harrods said that since the airing of the BBC documentary in September, there were more than 250 individuals “now in the Harrods process to settle claims directly with the business”.
Has his family made a statement?
Mohamed Al Fayed’s son has spoken out and said he is “horrified” by the allegations made against his late father.
Omar Al Fayed has said the alleged victims deserve “full transparency and accountability”, and said the multiple women coming forward had “thrown into question the loving memory I had of him”.
Omar added that despite his father being a wonderful dad, he was not blind to the accusations that have emerged since his death.
In a statement to Sky News, he said: “The extent and explicit nature of the allegations are shocking and has thrown into question the loving memory I had of him.
“How this matter could have been concealed for so long and in so many ways, raises further disturbing questions.
“Throughout history, people in positions of power have all too often been shielded from the consequences of their actions, and justice has frequently been delayed or denied to those who have suffered.
“I firmly believe that anyone found guilty of such reprehensible actions, including having had facilitated, enabled or helped cover up such actions, no matter their status, must be held accountable.”
“The alleged victims and public deserve full transparency and accountability,” he added.
“I will continue to support the principles of truth, justice, accountability and fairness, regardless of where that journey may lead. No-one is above the law.”
What has Harrods said?
The current managing director of Harrods, Michael Ward, said the business had failed its workers.
He described the allegations as a “shameful period in the business’s history”, adding that a compensation scheme had been set up, and had already settled with a number of victims.
He said in a statement that it was “clear Mr Fayed presided over a toxic culture of secrecy, intimidation, fear of repercussion and sexual misconduct”.
