By Dareh Gregorian
November 10, 2005
A would-be model was groped, fondled and subjected to Paris Hilton sex jokes during a job interview with a well-known clothing designer, court papers charge.
Now Alexander is suing Hakakian and his company, claiming her resistance of his clumsy advances cost her the modeling job. "Nobody should have to go through this, ever," said Alexander, 24.
Hakakian countered that Alexander "was never interviewed for any job. Period." He said he would not comment further because he hadn't seen the suit, which seeks unspecified monetary damages.
The aspiring actress says she was shopping at the Barami store on East 57th Street in July 2004 when she was approached by a salesperson who asked her if she would be interested in modeling.
She was later called in an interview with Hakakian at his West 36th Street office, her suit says. That's where she was "violated and humiliated" by Hakakian's "non-consensual, unwelcome, sex-based conduct," the suit claims.
The interview began with Hakakian offering her booze and "showing her sexually offensive cartoons and illustrations on his computer," she claims.
He also showed her a "Saturday Night Live" skit involving Paris Hilton "that was fraught with sexual innuendo," the suit says. He then allegedly asked her to try on clothing for a photo shoot- but refused to leave her dressing room while she was changing.
He fondled one of her breasts, and insisted that he had to help take the clothes off her for fear "that she would ruin the samples." the suit says. "He then commented that he was glad [she] was not wearing underwear and began to kiss her lower back and fondle her buttocks."