Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – A former model accused Leon Black of rape requested a U.S. Judge to dismiss her defamation lawsuit and racketeering conspiracy suit against her and her law company. She is also pursuing a separate case over her rape claim.

Guzel Ganieva filed a Manhattan federal court complaint accusing the ex-chief executive of Apollo Global Management Inc (NYSE:) Inc, that he tried to create a wedge between her and Wigdor LLP. This was four months after Guzel Ganieva sued him in a New York State court.

Black accused Ganieva, Ganieva and their law firm of participating in “criminal enterprise”, where they used an unknown financing source and public relation representatives to exort him.

Ganieva, 70 years old, strongly denies Ganieva’s allegations. Ganieva also claimed that Ganieva tried to set up a sexual encounter with Jeffrey Epstein in 2008 but was stopped by Ganieva.

Ganieva, along with the Wigdor legal firm, denied conspiring to dismiss Black’s claims.

According to the law firm, “There are no funders or flacks,” referring to PR professionals.

Black lawyer Susan Estrich said that Black offered “incontrovertible” evidence against Ganieva’s claims in a Friday interview. Her “scurrilous claims are only designed to humiliate, embarrass, and embarrass Mr. Black.”

The relationship between Ganieva, the married Black was from 2008 to 2014. Both suits stem from this relationship which Black described as consensual but regrettable.

Ganieva alleged that Black forced her to sign the nondisclosure agreements and made demeaning claims about her attempts to extort him.

Black said that Ganieva had been paying him $100,000 per month for five and a half years. He wanted to be quiet. These payments were stopped in March.

Epstein committed suicide in August 2019, while waiting for his trial on charges of sex trafficking.

Black expressed regret for his past ties with Epstein. After an independent review revealed that he had spent $158 million on tax and estate planning with Epstein, Black decided to resign from Apollo. However, he was not involved in Epstein’s criminal activities.

Black v Ganieva, et al., U.S. District Court Southern District of New York. 21-08824.