Father of Princess Diana’s Boyfriend Dodi, Mohamed Al-Fayed, Accused of Multiple Rapes
In a distressing twist, the father of Princess Diana’s late boyfriend Dodi Fayed, Mohamed Al-Fayed, is under intense scrutiny. You’d think the cosmos had enough drama with the royal family, but alas, the story thickens.
Just when you thought it was safe to stroll through Harrods without a side-glance, five women have now stepped forward, claiming that they were sexually assaulted by Mohamed Al-Fayed. These allegations come courtesy of a BBC documentary titled ‘Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods’—a name that’s about as subtle as a sledgehammer.
The documentary is set to air on Thursday, September 19, and features grim testimonies from more than 20 former female employees. These women allege that Al-Fayed sexually assaulted them in locations as disparate as London, St. Tropez, Abu Dhabi, and Paris. That’s one heck of a travelogue, don’t you think?
According to the program, Harrods apparently had a starring role in covering up these abuse claims. This is the same Harrods that released a statement expressing their shock and dismay at Al-Fayed’s alleged atrocities. They wrote: “These were the actions of an individual who aimed to abuse his power wherever he operated, and we condemn them in the strongest terms.” Oh really, Harrods? Where was that strong condemnation when it mattered?
Hollywood’s Sexual Misconduct Scandals
The statement continued in a predictable tone of damage control, acknowledging that the company had failed its employees who were victimized by Al-Fayed. “We sincerely apologize,” they added. They also mentioned their revamped company values, aiming to heal their battered reputation quicker than you can say ‘public relations nightmare.’
But let’s not forget that this is the same Harrods Al-Fayed controlled from 1985 to 2010. The not-at-all-contrived mea culpa included how they are now swiftly settling abuse claims to avoid “lengthy legal proceedings.” Well, nothing screams ‘we care’ like trying to save face swiftly and quietly, does it?
Hitting rewind, Al-Fayed found himself facing three separate sexual assault accusations in 1997, 2008, and 2017. To add salt to the wound, 14 civil lawsuits for damages have been brought against Harrods. In their ‘enlightened’ state, the current owners began settling these claims in July 2023. My, what convenient timing!
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Turn the clock back to 1997, and you might recall Al-Fayed’s son was in a high-profile romance with Princess Diana. Their tragic demise in a Parisian car crash was immortalized as the focus of season 6 of Netflix’s The Crown. But surprise, surprise, Mohamed Al-Fayed wasn’t just satisfied with owning Harrods; he purportedly played matchmaker in order to curry favor with British society.
On the record, Al-Fayed’s former spokesperson Michael Cole vehemently addressed claims suggesting that Al-Fayed had introduced Diana to Dodi to better his own standing. Cole didn’t mince words, dismissing Netflix’s portrayal as “dramatized fiction.” Oh, the outrage!
