Bianca Gascoigne has alleged that Mohamed al-Fayed groomed and sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager working at Harrods.
Becoming the latest high-profile figure to speak out about her experiences with the Egyptian businessman, the British model, who is the daughter of former England footballer Paul Gascoigne, said a “charming” Fayed would bring her and her parents gifts when she would visit the luxury department store in central London growing up.
The 37-year-old said this meant she felt “safe” in his presence by the time she began working for the Knightsbridge store aged 16.
However, she claimed Fayed, who died last year aged 94, went on to grope her and force her to kiss him in their weekly meetings, leaving her feeling trapped and frightened.
Speaking publicly for the first time about her ordeal, Ms Gascoigne told Sky News of a night when Fayed offered her the Harrods Park Lane apartment to stay in ahead of a flight.
She said: “[Fayed] turned up at the apartment to my shock, I was just gobsmacked, I was kind of very shell-shocked, I just didn't really know what to do.
“He came in, and then he sat me down on the sofa ... he got his privates out and got my hands and was trying to manoeuvre them on his parts.
“When that didn't work he was trying to force my head onto his lap.
“And I don’t know how but I managed to wiggle away.
“And I think possibly you know, that him knowing my parents ... I don’t know, that might have saved me at that moment. But it was horrific.”
Fayed faced accusations of sexual misconduct for decades.
Since the release of a BBC investigation last month, the Metropolitan Police said it has been contacted by 60 people reporting their experiences with Fayed. This is in addition to the 21 women who previously made allegations against the businessman, including rape and sexual assault, between 2005 and 2023.
On Monday, Harrods said more than 250 people are part of its process to settle compensation claims over alleged historic sexual misconduct by Fayed. The department store added that it had “settled a number of claims with women” made against its former owner since last year.
Ms Gascoigne, who became a fashion buyer at Harrods after joining as a shop floor worker, told of the “shame” that prevented her from telling anyone what was happening.
“Obviously, I loved my job because it’s exactly what I wanted to do – that was my dream,” she told the broadcaster.
“And, you know, he’s doing all these things to me. And I was close to people that he knew, and I felt like I couldn’t even tell them either, because I didn’t want to bring embarrassment and shame.”
The model also told of her concern at the time over losing her job if she spoke about her experience.
“[Fayed] told me that if I would say anything that I would lose my job,” she said. “So I just got really scared, at 16 turning 17, you think you know what's going on at the time but you really don't.
“I look back now and just feel very sorry for my 16-year-old self and wish I could protect her.”
However, Ms Gascoigne, who has recently had a daughter, has now made the decision to speak out after seeing Fayed’s other alleged victims come forward.
She said: “I feel like I have to do this, like I want to do this. I want to stand for the women and, you know, hopefully make any kind of change so that in the future my daughter won’t have to go through something like this ... and these predators won’t be able to get away with what they are getting away with.”
Ms Gascoigne is the latest high-profile figure to speak out about her experiences with Fayed.
Former Fulham Ladies captain Ronnie Gibbons recently alleged she was twice sexually assaulted by the businessman, claiming Fayed assaulted her in an office at Harrods in Knightsbridge.
Justice secretary Shabana Mahmood told Sky News: “I think it’s just a horrifying set of allegations and shocking that so many women, who were there at different stages in their lives are coming forward with these experiences of really severe abuse at the hands of their employer.
“I think there are questions for all of the institutions that Mohammed al-Fayed was either in charge of or involved with, about what they did, what they knew, and how they responded.
“I think apologies now are obviously very welcome, but I think there are some questions to answer about what's gone on in the past.”
The Independent has approached Harrods for comment.
In a statement issued previously, the department store said: “We are utterly appalled by the allegations of abuse perpetrated by Mohamed al-Fayed. These were the actions of an individual who was intent on abusing his power wherever he operated and we condemn them in the strongest terms. We also acknowledge that during this time his victims were failed and for this we sincerely apologise.
“The Harrods of today is a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by al-Fayed between 1985 and 2010, it is one that seeks to put the welfare of our employees at the heart of everything we do. This is why, since new information came to light in 2023 about historic allegations of sexual abuse by al-Fayed, it has been our priority to settle claims in the quickest way possible, avoiding lengthy legal proceedings for the women involved. This process is still available for any current or former Harrods employees.
“While we cannot undo the past, we have been determined to do the right thing as an organisation, driven by the values we hold today while ensuring that such behaviour can never be repeated in the future.”
