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A while back we reported that Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were caught in the midst of a fashion scandal when it emerged that their company, Dualstar Entertainment Group, LLC which includes acclaimed label The Row, was being sued by a group of former interns. Now the famed designers (who are not directly implicated in the controversy), have responded to the allegations.
According to reports, Dualstar Entertainment Group, LLC is facing a class-action lawsuit that comprises of 40 past and present interns. The claimants allege that the company did not pay interns and that said interns worked 50-hour weeks.
Now just weeks before their Spring 2016 collection is set to walk at Paris Fashion Week, the Olsens are hitting back at these claims. Fashionista reports the 29-year-old celebrity fashion designers’ company “denies each and every allegation.” They also reportedly responded to say, “that at no time did Dualstar act in a willful, wanton, reckless and/or malicious manner.”
The lead plaintiff in the case is Shahista Lalani, who interned for five months in 2012 at The Row. Lani claimed amongst other things, that that the head technical designer she worked under was ‘very demanding? and subjected her to ?the work of three interns.? This work including data inputting, running personal errands for paid staff, sewing and organising materials. Her boss would allegedly contact her incessantly: ?Emails at nighttime for the next day, like 10 p.m.? Lani also shockingly claimed that she was hospitalised due to dehydration as a result of this.
According to court documents obtained by Fashionista, as well as rigorously denying all claims, the Olsens added that Lalani “has failed to state facts sufficient to constitute claims,” while Dualstar “acted, at all times, in good faith and had reasonable grounds for believing its conduct complied with applicable laws and regulations.”
The sisters initially managed to come out of this fairly shocking tale okay. Lani explained that she never worked directly for the entrepreneurial twins and said, ?They’re really nice people. They were never mean to anyone. They’re business people.? However, it seems the Olsen twins aren’t backing down without a fight and according to Grazia, they are now asking Lani to repay them their legal fees as a result of the lawsuit.
Via Fashionista/Grazia