Sons accuse fashion boss Nygard of paying 'known sex worker' to rape them as teens

Two of Peter Nygard's sons launched a new lawsuit filed Sunday, saying their fashion executive father set them up to be raped by his girlfriend — a "known sex worker" —  when they were teens.

Nygard, 79, is a Winnipeg-based clothing manufacturer. His companies, in the past, were worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Dozens of women have recently come forward alleging he raped them.

The civil lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. It names three of Nygard's companies. His sons, who are not identified, are seeking an undisclosed amount of damages and have requested a jury trial. 

Their claims have not been proven in court. Nygard's lawyer has dismissed them as lies.

"Hopefully, my experience will help other people be able to speak the truth about what's happened to them," the older of the two sons said in an exclusive interview with CBC News. 

He is referred to as John Doe 2 in the lawsuit.

"We need to talk about this."

As the man is a victim of alleged sexual abuse, CBC News has agreed not to publish his identity.

"It's about backing up the other people who are being called liars," he said.

More allegations

Nygard has been accused of raping or sexually assaulting 57 women in a class-action lawsuit filed earlier this year in New York.

CBC News has spoken directly with 10 women who say they were raped or sexually assaulted by Nygard.

Nygard, through his spokespeople, has said they are all lying.

In the past, Nygard has been listed as one of the richest Canadians. His empire once included a palatial estate in the Bahamas with administrative and production facilities in Winnipeg, Toronto, Los Angeles and a world headquarters in New York.

In March of 2020, nine of his companies were forced into receivership by the courts in Manitoba. Nygard's companies owe millions of dollars to several creditors.

New legal action

The latest lawsuit was filed on Sunday in New York by the same law firm that launched the class action lawsuit.

According to the new lawsuit, the sons were raped 14 years apart by the same woman.

The most recent alleged assault took place in the summer of 2018. John Doe No. 1 was 14 years old at the time.

The lawsuit says his father "lured, enticed and transported," him from California to Nygard's residence in Winnipeg. Both sons are U.S. citizens.

• A secret no more: Details of ex-Nygard employee's allegations suppressed for years
• Breaking their silence: 2 Canadian women allege they were raped by Nygard

It says Nygard's girlfriend, referred to as Jane Roe in the lawsuit, was instructed by Nygard to "make a man" out of his son, saying he was a virgin at the time.

The second assault alleged in the lawsuit took place in 2004. John Doe No. 2 was 15 years old. It took place at Nygard's home in the Bahamas.

'Confusion' and 'shame'

According to the lawsuit, that would have been considered a sexual assault in the Bahamas.

John Doe 2 said, for him there was "confusion" and "shame" and "very little understanding," at the time.

"It's one of those things that when you look back at it I see the pattern of it — that it happened with my younger brother — that's when it struck me. That's pretty low. So after the fact and after more information has come out it's affected me a little bit more."

The lawsuit says the Nygard company and its employees helped facilitate and cover up the alleged rapes.

It says Nygard used company employees and money to arrange and pay for his sons to travel to his homes where the alleged rapes took place. And it says company money was used to pay Nygard's girlfriend, "a full time sex worker", to assault his sons.

In the past, Nygard has called accusations against him lies paid for by his former neighbour in the Bahamas. The two wealthy men have repeatedly sued each other in a battle that began as a property dispute more than a decade ago.

'My client is shocked by these allegations'

On Sunday, Nygard's lawyer, Jay Prober, said the latest allegations are more lies.

"My client is shocked by these allegations, which he says are completely false. He categorically denies them. You'll note that the allegations are really nothing more than generalities. Details are sadly lacking. You might ask why that is. And it's clear from my client because he says it never happened."

Nygard's sons, however, stand by their claims. 

John Doe 2 says he's looking for "justice" and hopes "some sort of weight is lifted off some of the [other] victims' shoulders."

"I'm hopeful that whether it's this lawsuit or the other lawsuits that there will be some truth served because I don't feel like anyone should get away with this type of behaviour and abuse."

No trial date has been set.

If you have any information or a confidential tip to share about this story, please contact Timothy Sawa at timothy.sawa@cbc.ca.