BACKLASH

Julia Fox Defends Walking in an Alexander Wang Fashion Week Show

Three years ago, Wang was accused of sexual misconduct by a number of anonymous victims.

Uncut Gems actress and subversive fashion plate Julia Fox has never been one to shy away from a controversy, and that continues to be true during New York Fashion Week. This time, Fox is catching flack for walking the runway in a recent presentation by Alexander Wang, the prominent fashion designer and former creative director of Balenciaga who was accused of sexual misconduct by a number of anonymous victims in 2020.

In response to a wave of social media commenters indignant that Fox would continue to engage with Wang, the actress posted the following (now-deleted) comment on TikTok, according to the Twitter account @juliafoxsource: “2 b frank I love cancel culture but we do need to leave room for rehabilitation & for those who put in the work & heal & learn from their mistakes.”

Three years ago, model Owen Mooney posted a TikTok accusing a “really famous fashion designer” of groping him at a club, after which several people reached out to the Instagram account @ShitModelMgmt to allege that Wang had, in some instances, given them bottles of water they were unaware had been laced with MDMA.

One accuser, fashion archivist David Casavant, said that Wang once approached him at a club and suddenly pulled down his pants and underwear.

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While Wang initially denied the allegations, calling them “baseless and grotesquely false,” he eventually changed his tune and posted an apologetic statement on Instagram.

“A number of individuals have come forward recently to raise claims against me regarding my past personal behavior,” Wang wrote in March 2021. “I support their right to come forward, and I’ve listened carefully to what they had to say. It was not easy for them to share their stories, and I regret acting in a way that caused them pain. While we disagree on some of the details of these personal interactions, I will set a better example and use my visibility and influence to encourage others to recognize harmful behaviors. Life is about learning and growth, and now that I know better, I will do better.”

The Daily Beast has reached out to Fox’s representatives for comment.

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Helen HolmesCulture Reporter

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