They were the undisputed queens of fashion and beauty in the '90s, and now, after scorching the runways and conquering every possible cover in prestigious magazines, supermodels are back in the headlines with a slew of revealing and shocking confessions in Apple TV+'s documentary "The Supermodels," which premiered Wednesday.
One of the most difficult confessions revealed in the program comes from Linda Evangelista, who only recently revealed that she had to deal with a variety of health ailments, including a failed plastic procedure that left her physically and mentally scarred, as well as dealing with breast cancer in which she contracted twice, which also led to a double mastectomy.
In the same confession, Evangelista, 58, reveals that when she was in her 20s, at the height of her professional fame, she was abused by her then-husband, Gerald Murray. "I realized I might have been in the wrong relationship. It's much easier to tell someone to get up and leave an abusive relationship than to actually do it," she said painfully. "I understand it very well because I've lived it. It wasn't just a matter of saying, 'I want a divorce and see you,' it doesn't work that way."
Denies the allegations against him. Gerald Murray, former head of Elite modeling agency, photo: Getty Images
The two married in 1987, when Evangelista was 22 and Marie, then head of the prestigious Elite modeling agency, was 37. The two had been married for five years, but while Evangelista had positioned herself as a supermodel, at home, she revealed through tears, things were completely different.
Evangelista also said Murray knew not to hit her in the face because her face was the "money maker." "I managed to get out of it when I was 27. He let me go, but made it conditional on him getting everything, but I was safe and I got my freedom," she said.
Trailer for the series:
Evangelista's abuse in the series joins a string of lawsuits from 2001 by at least 15 (including models Carrie Otis and Karen Mulder) accusing Marie of aggravated rape and sexual assault. Evangelista expressed support for the complainants after the affair broke, saying she believed them. Earlier this year, French prosecutors announced the closure of all cases against Murray due to the statute of limitations, as these acts all occurred in the 80s and 90s.
"When I found out he had hurt and desecrated so many women, my heart broke," the model added. "I never told my story because I was scared. Thanks to the strength of all these women who came forward to tell their stories, I got the courage to speak out now. I would love to see justice done. I'd love to see how scum like him think twice and be afraid, and I'd love for women to know they're not alone."
Similar to his sweeping denials of the previous series of lawsuits, Murray once again denies any responsibility. "Gerald Murray strongly opposes the false and libelous allegations made against him and refuses to take part in this false media scandal," his lawyer said in a statement.
"I would love to see justice done." Evangelista, in 2005 // Photo: AP
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us