Criticism of interview
“Wonderfully frivolous”: Joop apologizes for this statement about sexual abuse
Wolfgang Joop has apologized for his controversial statements
© Henning Kaiser // Picture Alliance
After sharp criticism of his statements in an interview with “Spiegel”, Wolfgang Joop has now apologized. Among other things, the designer had described old times, when sexual abuse of models was common, as “wonderfully frivolous”.
His words shocked many, now he is rowing back: The fashion designer Wolfgang Joop has publicly apologized for his controversial statements in an interview with “Spiegel”. “My statement about sin in the fashion world was misplaced in context,” wrote the 76-year-old on Instagram and Facebook. “I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologize for this and emphasize that I deeply reject any form of abuse of power and violence then and now.”
Almost in passing, Joop reported in the interview that forced prostitution of models used to be common in the fashion industry. He cried when Karl Lagerfeld died, said Joop, “because this world was so wonderfully frivolous and frigid. Everything was for sale. The agencies gave the keys to the rooms of the models, who didn’t bring that much money, to rich men. And when they did When a girl complained, they said: We can do without you too. ” When asked, Joop agreed that this was terrible. “But the fashion world is only really beautiful if there is also sin.”
Do Joop’s statements provide #MeToo clarification?
On the Internet, his transfiguring words about sexual abuse caused horror and sharp criticism. The Green MEP Katrin Langensiepen described the statements on Twitter as “glorifying violence and humiliation of women”. The legal situation was also discussed. “Doesn’t he make himself at least as a confidante also punishable with such statements? Unbearable!”, Wrote one user, others asked the public prosecutor to investigate. Another Twitter user wrote: “It would be the right time for the rape models to get together and report the pimps and rapists. Now they’ll be believed!”
It wouldn’t be the fashion industry’s first #MeToo scandal. In the past, designers, agents and photographers have been accused of sexual assault and abuse of power by models, most recently Mario Testino, Gérad Marie and Ed Razek. Joop’s apology was received as untrustworthy on the internet. “Someone honestly reveals the misanthropy of his industry and then he apologizes because he gave the insight. He should apologize to the models that he never intervened against these conditions,” wrote a Twitter user.