Guess founder Paul Marciano reportedly faces FBI probe over alleged sex misconduct with models
The scandal-scarred founder of fashion label Guess has reportedly become the target of an FBI probe — which has contacted more than 100 former and current models –involving allegations of sexual misconduct, according to Mediaite.
Paul Marciano faces the wide-ranging investigation over his alleged treatment of women who modeled or aspired to model for Guess, sources told the outlet on Thursday.
Marciano paid out more than $1 million in settlements in the past year to two women, one who accused him of rape and another of sexual harassment, according to the company’s filings with the SEC.
Marciano strongly denied sexual misconduct in prior reports and did not concede to any wrongdoing in those settlements.
He has also been accused of heinous attacks by a slew of women over the past two decades — including by supermodel Kate Upton, who claimed he forcibly groped her, and a Guess model who alleged that he raped her without a condom.
One person told Mediaite: “The FBI conducted an interview with me at my house and I was shocked to hear how many people they had contacted, who all told a similar story.”
The person said that an FBI special agent gave them an update a month after the interview.
“Their investigation had grown in scale as they informed me they had contacted over 100 former and current models,” the source told Mediate.
The Post has reached out to Guess and Marciano for comment.
A spokesperson for Marciano told Mediaite that the Guess co-founder was unaware of any investigation by the FBI.
“Mr. Marciano built Guess from the foundation and has devoted his life to the Company and the people working there,” Eric Rose told the outlet.
The Post has sought comment from the FBI.
“In keeping with DOJ standard practice, the FBI neither confirms nor denies the existence of an investigation,” a Department of Justice spokesperson told Mediaite.
“We have no further comment.”
Marciano, who founded Guess with his brothers in 1981, was forced to step down as executive chairman in 2018 after Upton and other models accused him of harassment and other crimes — but returned to the company’s board of directors last year.
Upton, the wife of star pitcher Justin Verlander, accused Marciano of forcibly groping, sexual harassment and misconduct when she worked for the Guess brand as a model.
Upton said she was fired after she resisted his advances.
Marciano denied her allegations.
He resigned in 2018 following an internal investigation into the allegations of misconduct, though he did not admit wrongdoing.
Last year, Marciano returned to the company’s board of directors, defying attempts to oust him.
At the time, Guess said the company reached settlements with five individuals totaling $500,000.
Last year, Marciano reached a $1 million settlement with two former Guess models — Amanda Rodriguez and Gwen Van Meir — who identified themselves in court documents.
Rodriguez alleged that Marciano raped her at a work meeting held in his apartment, according to court documents.
Van Meir accused Marciano of sexually harassing her on set, the court documents said.
In the settlement agreement, Marciano denied any wrongdoing.
In 2021, an aspiring model filed suit alleging Marciano raped her without a condom during a 2013 meeting.
The model, “Jane Doe 3,” filed suit against Marciano in California state court. The case is pending.
Another woman who worked for Marciano in the 1980s alleged to police that he forced her to perform oral sex when he offered her a ride home from work.
She filed a police report with the Beverly Hills Police Department in February 2022, according to The Daily Beast.
The Post has sought comment from the Beverly Hills Police Department regarding the status of its probe.
Marciano has not commented publicly the women’s allegations.
