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A former executive atVictoria’s Secretreportedly made a lewd comment aboutBella Hadidbefore the brand’s 2018 fashion show.
The incident was one of several allegations of sexual harassment and bullying made against Ed Razek in a recentNew York Timesreport.
Hadid, 23, was being measured for underwear when Razek, watching from a couch in the same room, allegedly declared, ”forget the panties.”
A rep for Hadid and a spokesperson for Victoria’s Secret did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.
Razek denied the allegations, telling theTimesin an email that “the accusations in this reporting are categorically untrue, misconstrued or taken out of context,” adding, “I’ve been fortunate to work with countless, world-class models and gifted professionals and take great pride in the mutual respect we have for each other.”
The annual fashion show wascanceled last yearamid ongoing controversy about the lack of body diversity on the runway.
Bella Hadid at the 2017 Victoria’s Secret fashion show.Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
In November, Hadid — who has walked in three Victoria’s Secret fashion shows — said she had“never felt powerful“ modeling lingerieuntil she walked inRihanna‘s Fenty show last year.
“For me, that was the first time on a runway that I felt really sexy,” Hadid said of the experience, according toWomen’s Wear Daily. “Because when I first did Fenty, I was doing other lingerie shows and I never felt powerful on a runway, like, in my underwear.”
Stephen Lovekin/WWD/REX/Shutterstock
“I like being another character,” the model explained. “I think at this point I don’t necessarily love being myself sometimes. Sometimes on the runway you get either nervous or you forget how your legs move.”
Hadid made her Victoria’s Secret fashion show debut in 2016, before returning for the 2017 and 2018 shows.
source: people.com
