‘I’m sad we can’t go to court. It was my chance to hit back’
Women must not be silenced by ‘pieces of paper’, ex-Topshop executive who went public with abuse claims tells Bill Gardner
A“piece of paper should not stand in the way” of women coming forward to make allegations of sexual harassment, one of Sir Philip Green’s accusers said last night. Auna Irvine, the only woman who has spoken publicly about her alleged abuse at the hands of the Topshop owner, has urged other women to come forward to take a stand against workplace harassment.
The American, who travelled to the UK to give evidence against Sir Philip but was denied her day in court as he abandoned his injunction just days before a landmark trial was due to begin, said she feared that British women were being unfairly restricted because of the laws surrounding non-disclosure agreements.
“I think it’s sad. Things really do have to change in your country,” Ms Irvine said in an exclusive interview with The Sunday Telegraph.
“It’s so wrong that a piece of paper should stand in the way of a person telling how they were violated.”
Last year, after news of the injunction first broke, Ms Irvine came forward to allege that Sir Philip subjected her to unwanted touching, repeated sexual harassment and aggressive bullying.
After The Telegraph first spoke to Ms Irvine last year, two other US employees came forward to allege that they too were sexually harassed by Sir Philip. Ms Irvine, who was not silenced with a pay-off, suspects there may be more to come.
“I know that there are so many women out there who were treated in the same way as me. I know that there are other stories that are even more painful and hurtful than mine.
“I say that it’s time for those people to come forward. This is about women coming together to say: ‘This is wrong’.
“Until now, there was no one willing to stop wealthy men behaving exactly how they please. But the time has finally come.”
She added: “It’s time to speak my truth. I’m a woman now, not a girl, and I’m not scared of him.”
Ms Irvine, 33, was preparing to travel to London from her home in Los Angeles when the billionaire announced his intention to abandon his injunction. In a way, she was
‘The time has come to speak my truth. I’m a woman now, not a girl, and I’m not scared of him’
disappointed. “I wanted my day in court,” she told The Telegraph.
“It was my chance to hit back, to right the wrongs that he did to me. But the important thing is that justice eventually won out.”
Ms Irvine would have made a compelling witness. At the age of just 24, she was hand-picked in 2011 to lead Topshop’s attempt to crack the US market. Within a week, she was flown to London, where she was introduced to Sir Philip. Her first impressions were not good.
“It was all about my boobs, even though we’d only just met. He was so flirty and touchy,” she says.
At the end of the meeting, the billionaire allegedly put his arm around her and declared: “Meet my new girlfriend, the Vegas manager.”
Ms Irvine was taken aback, she says, but determined to make a success of her job. But then, she alleges, matters got worse.
Soon, she claims, Sir Philip developed a kind of “obsession” with her, calling her mobile phone at all hours of the day and night.
Sometimes, she says she would hear a low voice on the other end. “Are you being naughty? I bet you’re being naughty. Tell me if you’re being naughty. You’re such a naughty girl.”
At other times, she says he would be screaming abuse, calling her a “f-----retard”, “incompetent” and a “slut.”
She dreaded Sir Philip’s regular visits to Las Vegas, when he would sweep in to inspect her store. On one occasion in front of staff, she claims, he slap slapped her bottom hard, saying: “I’m goin going to work you so hard, that weight is going go to fall off.”
On O another visit, according to her witn witness statement, she claims the billi billionaire was with a group of his wea wealthy friends when he tossed a dress on t the floor, then demanded that she ben bend over and pick it up. Sir Philip is said to have then remarked: “I need you to lose 25lbs. You would be so muc much more hot. Look guys, wouldn’t Aun Auna be sexy if she lost 25lbs?”
Another A time, during a meeting in his V Vegas hotel room, it is alleged he told a colleague of Ms Irvine: “She’s luck lucky you came with her or there’s no telli telling what I would do to her. Auna is span n nau naughty because she likes it when I spank and discipline her.”
L Later, while introducing a new mem member of staff, he allegedly ann announced to the room: “This is who I’m interviewing to take over from Aun Auna since she needs to lose weight a and start f------ the right people.”
It was the touching that bothered her most though, Ms Irvine claims. “He was always touching my butt – he called it my bum – and talking about my boobs. It was disgusting,” she said.
After around a year, Ms Irvine says she had finally had enough. In July 2012 she plucked up her courage and made a complaint about Sir Philip’s behaviour to Arcadia’s HR department.
Instead of taking her complaint
On one occasion, he s slapped her bottom hard, s saying ‘I’m going to work y you so hard, that weight is go going to fall off’
seriously, seri Ms Irvine claims senior staff hus hushed it up. She was told in no unc uncertain terms, she says, to write an ema email dropping the complaint.
A Afraid for her job, she sent the email. But the damage was done.
A few months later, Ms Irvine claim claims, she was forced out. A letter from Arcadia informed her that she had been summarily sacked for brea breaking company rules, apparently by gifti gifting a Topman suit to a well-known prom promoter.
M Ms Irvine describes her sacking as “rid “ridiculous”. As general manager, she says she was encouraged to hand out gifts and discounts to “brand amb ambassadors” to show off the brand. F Furious, she engaged the services of a law lawyer. But, as a single mother who had just lost her only source of income, she says she realised she simply did not hav have the money or the muscle to take Sir Philip on. So she went back to Ca California.
“I was left with nothing. I and my so son were sleeping on my friend’s c couch, with no money, trying to fififi figure out how I was going to make eel l ends meet. That was the all-time low.”
Seven years on, Ms Irvine is bbs back on her feet, but she claims she is still recovering. The billionaire’s constant comments about her breasts and figure left her suffering from an eating disorder, she says.
“I’m still in therapy now. It’s a scar. I carry it, I wear it.”