(Trigger warning: sexual assault, sexual abuse & coercion)
“This shall be the first and only comment on this issue until I am advised otherwise,”
South African designer and entrepreneur David Tlale, who has recently been accused of sexually assaulting his alleged former protégé, has issued a statement responding to the allegations levelled against him about two days ago.
“Some very serious and quite damning allegations levelled against me and my professional brand have surfaced over the weekend. These allegations are categorically false and only seek to cause me serious harm and also seek to undermine the lived experiences of those who are real victims of sexual assault of any nature. “While I consult with my internal team of experts on this matter, this shall be the first and only comment on this issue, until I am advised otherwise,” – David Tlale’s official statement responding to sexual assault allegations.
David Tlale has been accused of drugging and sexually abusing his alleged former protégé
The accuser Sindile Dudumashe (Instagram account by the handle @mrzackiekins) took to Instagram to share a recollection of psychological and sexual endured at the hands of the famed fashion designer David Tlale.
He wrote: “This man with ulterior motives got close to me at 21 years of age while working for @afi_sa (which is how me met), forged a ‘friendship’. I was charmed and inspired by him. A role model to me at the time and to cut a long story short, he drugged an sexually abused me, he then exploited me of my skills during the pandemic,” wrote Dudumashe on his Instagram stories.
He later shared screenshots of the post to his main Instagram feed.
View this post on Instagram
Through out the years, Tlale has built up a reputation as being the most well known name in the fashion industry. He has showcased his creations at numerous fashion weeks, debuting at Paris Fashion Week in 2007. He was also the first South African designer to showcase solo at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York in 2012.