Several models and executives have accused lingerie giant Victoria's Secret's Chief Marketing Director Ed Razek of sexual harassment, bullying and making fun of their bodies for many years and acting inappropriately during the castings. He is also accused of asking a model to sit on his lap and making many young girls feel pressured into uncomfortable situations.
Ed Razek allegedly did not spare Bella Hadid either and walked into the changing room as she was trying on her dress for the 2018 annual fashion show. If walking in unwelcome was not enough, he allegedly walked around joking whether or not Hadid would be allowed to walk "down the runway with those perfect titties". At the same fitting, he allegedly grabbed another model's crotch and had to face no repercussions as many feared they might lose their jobs if they spoke out.
Victoria's Secret allegedly punished models
Ed Razek's alleged behavior was passed off as normal and Victoria's Secret allegedly did not take any action against him, despite many models and executives making repeated complaints about his "unsolicited sexual advances". Casey Crowe Taylor, a former PR employee at Victoria's Secret, reportedly alleged that the company either ignored the complaints or punished the ones who made them.
"This abuse was just laughed off and accepted as normal. It was almost like brainwashing. And anyone who tried to do anything about it wasn't just ignored. They were punished,'' she is quoted as telling the New York Times.
Before leaving the company, Casey alleged that Ed Razek had once screamed at her during a shoot about her weight in 2015 and saddened by his alleged bullying, she quit the company just two months after the incident. Her replacement Monica Mitro also allegedly faced sexual harassment by Ed Razek and when she took her complaint to the board of directors, she was allegedly placed on administrative leave the next day.
Ed Razek says the accusations are false
Ed Razek rubbished the allegations against him. In a statement to the New York Times, he said: ''The accusations in this reporting are categorically untrue, misconstrued or taken out of context. I've been fortunate to work with countless, world-class models and gifted professionals and take great pride in the mutual respect we have for each other."
