Model Penny Lancaster says she was drugged and sexually assaulted as a teenager by fashion industry insider
TV personality returns to ITV's Loose Women to recount ordeal in light of Harvey Weinstein allegations after revealing earlier case of harassment on same show in 2015
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Your support makes all the difference.Model Penny Lancaster has alleged she was assaulted as a teenager.
During an emotional appearance on ITV's Loose Women, the 46-year-old alleged an industry figure had spiked her drink and forced himself on top of her when she was a young model.
She said: “I can't remember much of what happened I just know he was on top of me and enjoying the experience but I certainly wasn't. And I don't really remember much more and I was too afraid to tell anyone.”
She said she had been a virgin at the time and ended up going to the man's house after he promised to take her to an event with industry figures.
“I was like 'oh, someone will be interested, I might get some more work',” Lancaster said. “And that's what you're out there doing the modelling for, so I went with him. And he said 'oh, I have to stop at my apartment'.”
She said he poured her a drink while he went to collect his things for the event, adding: “And unfortunately the next thing I knew, which I don't really remember doing the drink, I found myself face down on a bed with him on top of me.
“I couldn't tell my mum and dad because I thought they would be saying to me 'what on earth were you doing going back to his house'. But he was a guy that I had worked with and he promised me to meet other people and so I was naive and I trusted him.”
Lancaster said she hoped speaking out over the allegation can help young girls understand it is “not their fault”.
“They are not guilty. The other person is. And they need to be brave enough to tell the authorities.”
It comes amid the MeToo campaign which was launched following allegations of sexual assault against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.
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It has led thousands of women to post messages on social media in an attempt to expose the wider problem of sexual assault.
Lancaster said: “You try and pretend it never happened and until articles like this come out you are reminded and it is so important.
“Whether they feel saying MeToo in a hashtag is a soft approach to talking about it but I think more importantly they need to be able to approach their parents, a school teacher, but not feel guilty,” she added.
PA
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