George Clooney has lent his support to pal Rande Gerber, husband of Cindy Crawford, after the businessman was named in a sexual harassment suit filed last month by two former employees.
On Monday, Clooney issued a statement in support of Gerber, one which contradicts an allegation made by Shelly Scott, an alleged former server at Gerber Bars, who with another woman, is suing Gerber, his companies and several others over harassment claims.
“I was with Rande the entire night — as were a lot of people — they will all say the same thing that I’m saying. This event never happened. Period,” Clooney said in a statement to Access Hollywood.
Clooney’s statement appears to refer to an incident referenced in Scott’s (a former server at Gerber Bars from September 2007 until she claims she was “forced to quit” in December 2008) lawsuit, which she claims happened in September 2008.
“In our about September 2008, Scott waited on Rande Gerber and some of his guests at Moonstone. Rande Gerber attempted to kiss Scott three times during the night. Each time, Scott rebuffed Rande Gerber and moved away,” she claimed among her allegations in the lawsuit obtained by Access Hollywood.
She further alleged Gerber attempted to “fondle” her under her dress, but she “quickly moved away.”
The Gerber Group also issued a statement on Monday to Access Hollywood, regarding the alleged incident.
“It has been reported that a former waitress has alleged in a lawsuit that on a single occasion in September 2008, Rande Gerber attempted to kiss and fondle her. This allegation is a blatant lie that will be proven false,” their statement read. “Multiple witnesses, including George Clooney, the bar managers, waitresses and others, will testify that they were with Mr. Gerber for the short time period in question and that Mr. Gerber never kissed or touched any waitress. Mr. Gerber and Mr. Clooney are willing to take lie detector tests to prove that the allegations against Mr. Gerber are false. Mr. Gerber will not settle this extortion case even for a single dollar and will take all actions necessary to clear his name, including filing a $10 million lawsuit for malicious prosecution once these allegations are proven false.”
Scott and Gillian Walker, who also claims to be a former server for Gerber Bars during the relevant period, are the plaintiffs in the case filed in San Diego this past March. They claim in their lawsuit that they were “subjected to quid pro quo sexual harassment at the hands of their supervisors… and a sexually hostile work environment.”
The women claim their work environment became “abusive” due to the alleged sexual harassment.
The women also claim they complained to the Gerber Group’s human resources, but the department “continually refused to acknowledge that such practices were occurring at the Gerber bars.”
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