Current:Home > FinanceMohamed Al-Fayed, late billionaire whose son died with Princess Diana, accused of rape-InfoLens
Mohamed Al-Fayed, late billionaire whose son died with Princess Diana, accused of rape
View Date:2024-12-23 12:29:30
Mohamed Al-Fayed, the late billionaire whose son died with Princess Diana, has been accused of inappropriate sexual conduct including rape by multiple women and girls.
The Egyptian businessman and ex-owner of the luxury London department store Harrods is the subject of a new BBC documentary "Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods." BBC reports it heard testimony from 20 women and girls, including 13 survivors who opened up in the doc about Al-Fayed's alleged abuse. Al-Fayed died last year at 94.
At the time of the alleged abuse, he owned the Ritz Paris hotel and British football club Fulham FC in addition to Harrods. BBC says the documentary will show "the scale and seriousness of these allegations" for the first time and suggests Harrods helped cover up Al-Fayed's crimes.
Al Fayed's 25-year tenure as owner of Harrods lasted from 1985 to 2010. According to a BBC News article published Thursday, the alleged incidents took place in London; St. Tropez, France; Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; and Paris, where his son died.
An Associated Press article published last year chronicled Al-Fayed's controversial beliefs surrounding his son's death alongside Princess Diana in a Paris car crash after a paparazzi chase in 1997. According to the AP, the billionaire believed the pair were killed in a conspiracy masterminded by Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Princess Kate finishes chemotherapy andsays she's 'doing what I can to stay cancer-free'
Other claims documented by the AP said that Diana was pregnant with Al-Fayed's grandchild, and she planned to marry his son, but the royal family did not want the princess to marry a Muslim.
Harrods' new owners say they're 'appalled' by Mohamed Al-Fayed's alleged abuse
In a statement published on their website, Harrods addressed the allegations of abuse Thursday.
"We are utterly appalled by the allegations of abuse perpetrated by Mohamed Al Fayed. These were the actions of an individual who was intent on abusing his power wherever he operated, and we condemn them in the strongest terms," the statement reads. "We also acknowledge that during this time as a business we failed our employees who were his victims and for this we sincerely apologize."
The statement continued, calling Harrods "a very different organization than it was when Al-Fayed owned it," saying they "cannot undo the past" while promising to ensure "that such behaviour can never be repeated in the future."
The company said that "since new information came to light in 2023 about historic allegations of sexual abuse by Al Fayed, it has been our priority to settle claims in the quickest way possible." They added that they want to avoid "lengthy legal proceedings" for the women involved and they will continue that process for current and former employees.
veryGood! (17881)
Related
- About Charles Hanover
- Angelina Jolie opens up about Brad Pitt divorce, how 'having children saved me'
- Gang violence in Haiti is escalating and spreading with a significant increase in killings, UN says
- Trooper applicant pool expands after Pennsylvania State Police drops college credit requirement
- Secret Service Agent Allegedly Took Ex to Barack Obama’s Beach House
- Bank that handles Infowars money appears to be cutting ties with Alex Jones’ company, lawyer says
- Michael Gambon, actor who played Prof. Dumbledore in 6 ‘Harry Potter’ movies, dies at age 82
- Judge Tanya Chutkan denies Trump's request for her recusal in Jan. 6 case
- 13 escaped monkeys still on the loose in South Carolina after 30 were recaptured
- Retail theft, other shrink factors drained $112B from stores last year
Ranking
- 'Cowboy Carter' collaborators to be first country artists to perform at Rolling Loud
- Horoscopes Today, September 27, 2023
- Arkansas man wins $5.75 million playing lottery on mobile app
- At least 20 dead in gas station explosion in Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region as residents flee to Armenia
- 2025 NFL Draft order: Updated first round picks after Week 10 games
- Michael Gambon, actor who played Prof. Dumbledore in 6 ‘Harry Potter’ movies, dies at age 82
- McCarthy rejects Senate spending bill while scrambling for a House plan that averts a shutdown
- Suspect sought in fatal hit-and-run that may have been intentional: Authorities
Recommendation
-
Cold case arrest: Florida man being held in decades-old Massachusetts double murder
-
UAW VP says Stellantis proposals mean job losses; top executive says they won't
-
Harry Potter's Michael Gambon Dead at 82
-
United Airlines will make changes for people with wheelchairs after a government investigation
-
The Best Gifts for People Who Don’t Want Anything
-
Milwaukee to acquire Damian Lillard from Portland in blockbuster three-team trade
-
UK police are investigating the ‘deliberate felling’ of a famous tree at Hadrian’s Wall
-
Invasive catfish poised to be apex predators after eating their way into Georgia rivers