Lawsuit alleges Peter Nygard's niece set up former model to be sexually assaulted

By the time April Telek was 20, she had been in a TV commercial for Gucci, modelled for Shiseido cosmetics and was crowned Miss Canada.

Now in her 40s, the Vancouver model and actress says she had also survived being held captive and repeatedly raped by fashion mogul Peter Nygard.

In late November 2020, Telek filed a lawsuit in a California courtagainst Nygard's niece Angela Dyborn. Telek allegesDybornlured her so she couldbe sexually assaulted by Nygard.

"She is complicit in what happened to me," said Telek in an interview with CBC News from her home in Vancouver.

Telek is one of 80 women who have signed on to a class-action lawsuit in New York alleging Nygard sexually assaulted them. The lawsuit was put on hold in August while acriminal investigation into Nygard by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation is ongoing.

WATCH | April Telek on the lawsuit against Peter Nygard's niece:

Lawsuit alleges Peter Nygard's niece set up former model to be sexually assaulted

4 years ago

Duration 2:31

Vancouver actress and model April Telek is suing Peter Nygard's niece, Angela Dyborn, for allegedly enabling her uncle to get access to her. She says that access happened right here in Winnipeg.

Nygard, 79, is now at Headingley Correctional Centre, facing extradition to the U.S. for allegations he sexually trafficked women and girls over a 25-year period andused company resources to facilitate the alleged crimes.

Nygard has denied all the allegations against him. None have been tested in court.

The friendship

Telek says she met Nygard's niecein Vancouver in 1991, when Telek was a teenager. She says Dyborn's momPeter Nygard's sisterowned a clothing store. One of Telek's friends had worked there.

Telek says she and Dyborn became friends. She says she even went toLos Angeles to visit Dyborn, who had moved there.

"We were never besties, but we knew each other well and we hung out," says Telek.

The lawsuit says that inNovember 1993, when Telek was 20 years old, Nygard called herat her parents' home in North Vancouver. She hadjust returned home from a beauty pageant in the Philippines, and Nygardwanted her to come to Winnipeg to model his signature line, she says.

"I was excited. I thought it was a big deal," said Telek.

The Nygard companies arranged the flight andtold her she'd be staying at the "executive suites," Telek says.

The lawsuit alleges Dyborn picked Telek up from theWinnipeg airport and drove her to Nygard's warehouse on Notre Dame Avenue,where the fashion designer also had an apartment.

The claim saysTelek was held captive for days, drugged and repeatedly raped. When she finally escaped, she says she told Dyborn what had happened.

The lawsuit alleges Dyborn responded, "I watched the tape; you didn't fight that hard."

The lawsuit accuses Dyborn of being "a key co-conspirator with Peter Nygard for decades"and also "a key cog in his vast sex trafficking network."

"She plays a big part in this, and that's not acceptable," said Telek."It is not OK, and she needs to be held accountable, too."

The lawsuit claims that in return for her participation in Nygard's alleged sex trafficking scheme, Dybornispaid a salary and provided travel and lodging.

"In order to receive these benefits, Dyborn continues to conspire with Nygard to cover up and conceal his crimes,"the lawsuit says.

Niece denies allegations

Dyborn hasn't filed a statement of defence. Court records show she was granted an extension until May 5 to do so.She alsohasn't responded to the allegations in the class-action lawsuit.

Dyborn didn't respond to requests for comment for this story, but last June, her lawyer Jay Prober told CBC's The Fifth Estate his client denies all the allegations against her.

In a sworn declaration Prober provided to CBC News last year, Dyborn said she and Telek weren't close. She says theymet briefly through Telek's mother at a store Dyborn was managing.

"At the time [Telek's] mother appeared to be fascinated with my uncle Peter Nygard, and his clothing line, and she was clearly aware of the fact that he was my uncle," said Dyborn's declaration.

Dyborn alleges Telek's mother had tried to secure a clothing sponsorship for her daughter through Dyborn.

"I do not remember following up with April's mother on that request. Nor would I have, since these types of promotions are handled by the Nygard PR department," wrote Dyborn.

The declaration says Telek never visited Dyborn in Los Angeles, and that Dyborn wasn't in Winnipeg when Telek alleges she drove her from the airport to Nygard's warehouse.

"I have never recruited models for the Nygard companies,and I would have never told April that Mr. Nygard wanted her to model for the Nygard companies," said Dyborn's declaration.

But Telek says Nygard couldn't have hurt as many women and girls as he's accused of abusing without help.

The lawsuit further alleges thatDyborn was tasked with facilitating travel arrangements, lodgingand benefits for Nygard's "girlfriends" meaninghis full-time sex workers as part of his trafficking conspiracy.

"She also would routinely transport victims to doctors on Nygard's payroll so they could receive abortions and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases," according to the lawsuit.