Sharon Bialek came forward as Herman Cain’s fourth accuser in a very public press conference, with her attorney, Gloria Allred, by her side. From Rachel Uchitel to Scary Spice, see other big names Allred has represented.
When Herman Cain’s “fourth accuser” went public on November 7, 2011, with her story of sexual harassment, she became the first of his accusers to publicly reveal herself or provide details of her encounter with him. According to Sharon Bialek, in 1997 Cain pressured her to perform sexual acts in exchange for his help finding her work at the National Restaurant Association. Bialek made the statements at a press conference with Allred, her attorney. During the conference, Allred said, “Instead of receiving the help that she had hoped for, Mr. Cain instead decided to provide her his idea of a stimulus package.”
Massage therapist Amber Frey thought she was getting involved with a widower when she started dating Scott Peterson in 2002. Weeks later, the burger shop proprietor was arrested for the murder of his eight-months-pregnant wife and Frey was called to testify, arriving at the courthouse with Allred by her side.
Actress Hunter Tylo sought Allred’s legal expertise when she was fired from her job on the TV show Melrose Place. Tylo and Allred sued the show’s producer, Aaron Spelling, arguing that she was fired solely for getting pregnant. With Allred’s help, Tylo was compensated $4.8 million.
In 1997, American model Kelly Fisher teamed up with Gloria Allred to sue her former fiancé, Dodi al-Fayed, claiming he ditched her for Princess Diana shortly after proposing and promising her $500,000 to give up her career and be with him. Fisher dropped the suit just a month later, however, after Fayed and Diana were killed in a car accident.
In perhaps her most high-profile case to date, Allred represented the family of Nicole Brown Simpson in the O.J. Simpson murder trial. In a radio interview following the verdict, Allred called Simpson’s acquittal “a very sad day for victims of violence. I don’t think justice was served in this case—and in millions of other cases throughout this country, where women are victimized by violence and the system fails to protect them.”
In 2004, years before Arnold Schwarzenegger’s infidelity and illegitimate child were revealed to the public, the bodybuilder-turned-actor-turned-politician was gearing up to run for governor of California. At the same time, a stuntwoman named Rhonda Miller claimed she had been sexually harassed on the set of Terminator 2 in 1991 by the film’s star. Despite attorney Allred’s efforts to sue Schwarzenegger in the midst of his campaign, the case was dismissed.
“Borat” became a household name when Sacha Baron Cohen took his fictional Kazakh journalist from HBO to the big screen, offending and embarrassing many unknowing victims with his rude-foreigner bit. Though the movie was a hit, at least one of its stars didn’t find it funny. Etiquette instructor Cindy Streit said she was told her filmed session with “Borat” was for a documentary on Belarus Television, not a major motion picture in the U.S. She hired Gloria Allred to spearhead an investigation into whether 20th Century Fox violated the California Unfair Trade Practices Act by misleading her about the type of movie she was going to be in.
In 2010, while Roman Polanski was fighting extradition to the United States, Charlotte Lewis claimed that the director sexually abused her when she was 16 years old. She retained Allred as her attorney. The incident allegedly took place four years after Polanski had fled the United States to avoid facing a charge of raping a 13-year-old in the U.S. Lewis said, “Mr. Polanski knew that I was only 16 years old when he met me and forced himself upon me in his apartment in Paris. He took advantage of me and I have lived with the effects of his behavior ever since it occurred.” Allred submitted the accusations to the LAPD in order to boost the original case against Polanski.
During the Anthony Weiner affair, former porn star Ginger Lee claimed that she had texted Weiner about his “package” but had never sexted him. She quickly hired Allred as her attorney. Allred said that because the “featured dancer” had to hide from the media attention, Lee had suffered emotional distress and lost wages.
Allred helped California corrections officer Andrew Johnson file a discrimination claim against his superiors at the women’s jail in Chino, Calif., after they told him that participation in the West Hollywood Gay Pride Parade would “discredit” the department and would go against regulations. At the time, Allred pointed out that the department had allowed officers to participate in Christmas parades and other multicultural parades. Allred said, “It’s important to him because he’s not ashamed of being gay. He just wants to be treated equally.”
During Meg Whitman’s 2010 gubernatorial campaign, her former housekeeper, Nicky Diaz Santillan, came forward to announce that Whitman had knowingly employed her, despite her status as an illegal immigrant. Santillan hired Allred as her attorney, and claimed that Whitman caused the housekeeper to “feel exploited, disrespected, humiliated, and emotionally and financially abused.” Whitman’s attorney claimed that at the time of her employment, Santillan “filled out immigration forms that stated under penalty of perjury that she was a lawful resident.”
Tiger Woods’ mistress, Rachel Uchitel, hired Allred when the story of their affair first broke, and quickly received $10 million in hush money from Tiger’s camp. But when Uchitel appeared on “Celebrity Rehab” to treat a sex addiction, Woods’ lawyer, Jay Lavely, said she had violated her confidentiality agreement, and Allred suggested she return most of the money to avoid a lawsuit. Uchitel then changed her mind and hired a malpractice lawyer—to sue Allred. Allred said, “I was not involved in any way in the allegations set forth in the TMZ story which appears today and references me. I have not had a conversation with or communicated with Jay Lavely about any client in more than a year. I am reserving all of my legal rights against anyone who defames me.”
When model Vanessa Lopez wanted to sue NBA star Shaquille O’Neal in 2010, she knew exactly where to turn—Gloria Allred. Lopez, who said she had a five-year relationship with Shaq, claimed that he harassed her once she tried to break it off. Lopez claimed she “fears that someone is after her…I want to feel safe again.” Lopez had previously had legal issues with three other NBA stars.
In 1996, before Charlie Sheen ever mentioned Tiger Blood, Brittany Ashland hired Allred to represent her when she filed an assault case against the star. At the time, Sheen pleaded “no contest” to the assault charges and settled with Ashland, his former girlfriend. In an interview years later, Sheen claimed that he had never hit a woman, adding, “I’m sorry, there was an incident years ago, and everybody thought I hit her. I was trying to contain her. I had her arms and we both went to the ground…her initials are B.A.” Allred called the statements “revolting and despicable.”
Allred represented Melanie Brown in her paternity suit against Eddie Murphy in 2007. According to Allred, a DNA test had proven that Murphy was the father of Brown’s baby daughter, but Murphy had not paid any child support. Allred said, “He bought a big diamond ring for his new fiancée. It is nice to be generous to others, but what about his own baby?” Murphy has since acknowledged paternity and has made public appearances with his daughter.
Nick Ut / AP Photo
