Kate Upton has accused Guess co-founder Paul Marciano of “sexual and emotional” harassment.
The 25-year-old model, who was once the face of the clothing brand, took to Twitter on Wednesday to share her concerns about Marciano, writing: “It’s disappointing that such an iconic women’s brand @GUESS is still empowering Paul Marciano as their creative director #metoo.”
She then took a screengrab of the tweet and shared it on her Instagram page, alongside the caption: “He shouldn’t be allowed to use his power in the industry to sexually and emotionally harass women #metoo.”
Kate’s husband Justin Verlander, who she married in November, also retweeted the message.
The hashtag #metoo has become a way for women to reveal themselves as a victim of sexual harassment in the wake of the scandal sweeping Hollywood, stemming from the accusations against power players such as Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey.
Marciano, who co-founded Guess in 1981 and has been creative director of the brand since 2015, has yet to respond to Kate’s social media posts.
Kate rose to fame when she appeared in the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and soon became an Internet sensation after a 2011 YouTube video showing her dancing in the stands of a Los Angeles Clippers game garnered millions of views.
She landed the coveted Sports Illustrated cover the following year and has since appeared on the covers of American Vogue, Vanity Fair, CR Fashion Book and Harper’s Bazaar, as well as becoming the face of Bobbi Brown cosmetics in 2014.
Kate began a crossover into acting, first appearing in 2011’s Tower Heist and then in 2012’s The Three Stooges. More significant parts came in 2014’s The Other Woman, alongside Cameron Diaz and Leslie Mann, and road trip comedy The Layover, which was directed by William H. Macy and hit cinemas last year.
