Jonathan Stempel and Jahnavi Nadumolu

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Leon Black accused a former Apollo Global Management (NYSE 🙂 Inc top lieutenant of using Jeffrey Epstein’s ties with the billionaire in order to launch a coup and oust him as co-founder of the investment company.

Josh Harris is being accused of making false accusations in connection with a Tuesday night filing at a New York State Court in Manhattan. Black was defending against Guzel Ganieva’s lawsuit, filed in June. Ganieva had a 6-1/2-year marriage.

Ganieva was a former model who accused Black, among other things, of rape and defaming herself by alleging she tried to extort and abuse him. Black refuted her allegations and brought a lawsuit against Ganieva’s law firm and defamation/racketeering conspiracy.

Black requested Ganieva’s phone records Tuesday to back his claim that Ganieva’s suit was an “offshoot” from an “attempted Apollo coup and smear operation” by Harris. He wanted to make him look weaker starting in 2020, after reports surfaced that Black paid Epstein financial management fee.

According to the filing Harris was upset that Black was not “first among equals” as CEO/executive chair. He saw Black’s connections to Epstein “a chance to take over Apollo.”

In the filing Harris claimed that Steven Rubenstein was a public relations officer hired by Harris to help “seed harmful stories” regarding Black. After being rejected in January 2021 to be the CEO of the private equity company, he “forged ahead with an evil campaign” against Black.

Marc Rowan was appointed as Black’s CEO. A review done by Dechert found that Epstein had paid Black $158million for estate and tax planning. In March, he resigned as Apollo’s Chairman.

Reps for Harris, Rubenstein stated that neither Harris nor Rubenstein had any relationships with Ganieva. Black’s allegations were also dismissed by the two men.

Harris spokesperson stated that Harris did not have any involvement in Mr. Black’s situation.

Evan Farber was a Rubenstein lawyer. He said that Black’s claims were “a concocted conspiracy theory in constant evolution, filled with false information and not grounded in reality.”

Apollo disclosed that Harris will be leaving his daily role as an administrator in May.

Epstein, who was awaiting his trial for sex-trafficking charges, committed suicide on August 2019.