Strokes' Singer's Father Accused Of Sexual Abuse By Former Model

12/13/2002 7:00 AM, Yahoo! Music
Mark Armstrong

(12/13/02, 7 a.m. ET) -- The father of Strokes singer Julian Casablancas has been accused of sexual abuse. Elite Modeling Agency founder John Casablancas was named in a lawsuit filed Monday (December 9) in Los Angeles Superior Court by a former Elite model, claiming that 15 years ago, when she was 15, he got her pregnant and then arranged for her to have an abortion.

The lawsuit alleges that John Casablancas began sexually abusing the woman in 1988 when she was a finalist in Elite's prestigious "Look Of The Year" competition for fresh new faces. She claims that later that year, she traveled with him to New York, the pregnancy was discovered, and the abortion was arranged through a doctor.

The name of the plaintiff, now a San Diego resident, has not been made public.

An attorney for the 60-year-old John Casablancas told Reuters news service, "There is no basis in fact for this lawsuit" and also accused the plaintiffs lawyer of trying to "drum up business."

Casablancas's Elite agency has represented supermodels including Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell.

-- Darryl Morden, Los Angeles

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