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Trump and the Elite Modeling Scandal: How Power Seduced and Silenced Teenage Dreams
The untold story of Trump’s presence among predators exploiting underage girls at the world’s biggest modeling contest — and the culture that enabled it.
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By Brian Daitzman
On a breezy evening in September 1991, the Spirit of New York yacht glided toward the Statue of Liberty. Teenage girls, some as young as 14, danced under disco lights in the company of much older men, including real estate mogul Donald Trump, according to a report by The Guardian. It marked the start of a week-long contest that revealed troubling questions about how power and privilege preyed on vulnerability in the modeling world.
The Contest: Glamour and High Stakes
At 45, Trump was more than a guest; he sponsored and judged Elite Model Management’s Look of the Year contest in 1991 and 1992, hosting events at his Plaza Hotel and aboard the yacht. The contest, founded by model agent John Casablancas, promised a $150,000 contract and the chance at stardom to girls as young as 14, The Guardian reported. Although officially open to contestants up to age 24, most were under 19 and away from home for the first time.
Footage from the event shows Trump greeting contestants backstage, mingling in dressing rooms, and watching swimwear rounds alongside other male judges. Stacy Wilkes, then 16, recalled judges — including Trump — telling her to lose weight as she stood in a swimsuit and visiting dressing rooms where the girls changed, according to The Guardian.
Yacht Parties and Coercion
Two yacht parties in September 1991 and 1992 became defining moments of discomfort and coercion. Shawna Lee, age 14 in 1992, was pressured to descend stairs and “dance” before Trump and Casablancas despite her objections, The Guardian reported. Another 15-year-old contestant said she was warned that refusing would jeopardize her standing in the competition. Witnesses described underage drinking and inappropriate touching during these events. Trump denies any knowledge of or participation in such behavior and stated he was unaware of misconduct by others.
Beyond Trump: A Network of Predators
John Casablancas, founder of Elite and architect of the supermodel era, wielded enormous influence as the gatekeeper to fame. According to The Guardian and corroborating sources, he had a history of relationships with teenage models — including 15-year-old Stephanie Seymour — and later married 17-year-old contestant Aline Wermelinger, whom he met at the 1992 contest. Though he sold his stake in Elite in 2000 and died in 2013, the culture he fostered endured.
Gérald Marie, head of Elite Paris and a judge in 1991, has been accused by more than 15 women of rape and sexual assault dating back to the 1980s and 1990s. Though French prosecutors closed the case in 2023 due to time limits, one accuser, supermodel Carré Otis, stated she spent months in mental health care after the alleged rape, and Linda Evangelista publicly voiced her support for the victims, according to The Guardian and other reputable reports.
Magician and contest judge David Copperfield was also accused by multiple contestants of inappropriate behavior, including repeated invitations and, according to one accuser, sexual assault after allegedly drugging her drink. Several former contestants reported that Copperfield maintained contact afterward, calling home numbers, sending gifts, and offering limousine rides — behavior described by victims as grooming. Copperfield’s representatives have denied all allegations, saying some incidents may have involved scammers impersonating him, The Guardian reported.
David Weil, who managed Elite models’ finances through Star Capital Management, pleaded guilty to statutory rape of a 15-year-old contestant and to defrauding clients of more than a million dollars. His sentence — weekends in jail and sex-offender registration — was viewed by advocates as disproportionately lenient.
The Culture of Impunity
Together, these powerful men operated within an ecosystem that normalized the exploitation of underage models. Leveraging their wealth, status, and the industry’s lack of safeguards, they blurred professional boundaries and conditioned vulnerable girls to believe their careers depended on submission to these dynamics. Their behavior, documented across decades and continents, reflects a culture of impunity rather than isolated misconduct.
“There’s no doubt that the men were like, ‘Look of the Year week, let’s make sure my schedule is clear to have girls over.’ - Kate Dillon”
Sixteen-year-old Shayna Love recounted being required to attend private dinners with Trump and Casablancas where underage girls were present. Dillon’s observation encapsulates how normalized the dynamic had become.
Reckoning with Power and Reform in Modeling
The Look of the Year contest illustrated how teenage ambitions became tools for exploitation by older men in positions of influence. The documented environment of yacht parties, private dinners, and backstage visits revealed systemic failures of oversight and ethics. While some reforms in the fashion and modeling industries have since been introduced — including chaperone policies, stricter age limits, and codes of conduct — advocacy groups say much remains to be done to ensure protection for young models.
📌 Timeline of Key Events
1991: Trump sponsors and judges contest at Plaza Hotel and on yacht.
1992: Trump returns as sponsor and judge.
1993–96: Trump expands into beauty pageants.
Post-1990s: Industry begins reckoning with abuse allegations.
Brian Daitzman is the Editor of The Intellectualist. Read the original article here.
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