The Messed Up Truth Of Fashion Mogul Peter Nygard

The Canadian-raised designer was born in Finland in 1941. His parents immigrated to Canada when Nygård was a young boy. He got his start in fashion working as a retail manager and bought into that company before eventually buying and renaming it. He quickly rose in the Canadian fashion world, and through the years continued to expand his business. By 2009 he was ranked one of the richest Canadians, with a net worth estimated at $900 million, via Celebrity Net Worth.

He’s now accused of using his wealth and fashion companies to lure women. By hosting extravagant parties at his Bahamian home for prospective models, Nygård allegedly held women captive, drugged them, and sexually assaulted them. Now more than 80 women are part of the class action against him for crimes he’s accused of committing in Canada, the U.S., and The Bahamas.

Nygård is also facing disturbing accusations from his own children. In a Canadian lawsuit, two of his sons claim their father arranged his then-girlfriend, a sex worker, to rape them when they were teenagers, per Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Today, Nygård International is a defunct company. 

The investigation into how he and his empire came crashing will be the subject of a four-part discovery + docuseries that will begin airing on February 12.