Billionaire rape suit

Single mom says Black assaulted her

A struggling single mom filed suit against Leon Black Monday, alleging the billionaire raped her in Jeffrey Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse two decades ago, new court papers show.

Cheri Pierson claims the dead pedophile arranged for her and Black (inset), 71, to meet at his Upper East Side mansion, where the legendary investor and former head of Apollo Global Management assaulted her, according to her Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit.

“She recalls desperately yelling and screaming” and she “tried to kick” but “he was too strong,” the suit states, describing the alleged 2002 incident.

Black’s lawyer Susan Estrich said in a statement that Pierson’s claims are “categorically false” and part of her efforts to “extort money from Mr. Black by threatening to destroy his reputation.”

Pierson — who says she was introduced to Epstein in 2000 by his ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell and an unnamed Ukrainian woman — came forward publicly for the first time in the suit, filed under New York’s Adult Survivors Act.

When she was roped into Epstein’s orbit, Pierson was a single mom trying to start a skincare line and struggling to make ends meet. She was paid around $300 for each of roughly five massages she gave to Epstein at the East 71st Street townhouse — where he would masturbate and ask her to perform oral sex on him, which she always refused, the suit claims.

Pierson then stopped seeing Epstein as he “was not happy” that she wouldn’t go further with him. But then in 2002, she called him “in desperate need for money,” the filing states.

The well-connected financier had a messenger bring her a card with $300 and the message “compliments of Jeffrey Epstein.” Shortly after, Epstein called Pierson saying he wanted to introduce someone who could help her — and set up a meeting with Black, the suit claims.

Black showed up in a business suit and seemed very familiar with Epstein’s home, taking Pierson up to the massage room and having $300 ready for her, the lawsuit alleges.

The enormous 6-foot, 4-inch, 300-pound Black allegedly undressed and insisted on giving her oral sex, which he did violently while holding her upside down with her legs over his shoulders, according to the suit, which notes Pierson was much slighter, weighing 125 pounds and being 5 feet 8 inches tall.

During the alleged rape, Black bit her, causing “excruciating pain,” the court papers claim.

After, when outside, the former MoMA chairman told her, “Black, my name is Leo Black,” before hopping in a town car and leaving, the lawsuit alleges.

Pierson says she had horrible vaginal swelling, tearing and bleeding that she had to recover from over the next several weeks.

Pierson is suing Black for sexual assault and other claims. Her suit also names Epstein’s estate.

Lawyers for Epstein’s estate didn’t respond to a request for comment Monday.