No Anand Jon

18 years ago

Anand Jon, the self-promoting fashion designer to the stars, has been charged with 20 counts of sexual assaults over a three-year period on seven women. The Los Angeles County District Attorney office announced that ongoing investigations in California and New York were identifying “numerous additional victims.”

Jon, who appeared on America’s Top Model in 2003 and was named by Newsweek as a person to watch in 2007, has dressed such celebrities as Paris Hilton, Ivanka Trump, Bruce Springsteen and Janet Jackson. A graduate of the Parsons School of Design, he launched his own label in 1999. He remains jailed in lieu of $1.3 million bail and Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer on him.

Jon’s attorney “vehemently” denied the allegations, asserting they were fabricated by disappointed models. “In these cases, what is going on here is these girls fly in for model jobs after months of dialogue filled with flirtation, they have sexual interaction and if he doesn’t put them in the show … then some time later they claim they had unwanted sex.”

A press release issued on behalf of the family criticized the media for its “sensationalized” and “exaggerated” coverage of his arrest for “improper behavior.” Reports have surfaced that Jon was charged with committing lewd acts on a child in 2003 and completed his probation in 2005 after which the record was expunged.

Jon recently boasted that he was working on a reality show around his life for VH1 with Lost co-star Michelle Rodriguez. He could scarcely have imagined the attention the show would get.