Sponsored message
Logged in as
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

Pervy Founder Of American Apparel Dov Charney Officially Banned From Company

2014_06_dovc.jpg
Dov Charney in 2009 (Getty Images)

One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.

It appears as though Dov Charney's days with American Apparel are officially over.

After listening to two days of arguments last week, a Delaware judge ruled today against American Apparel founder Dov Charney's attempts to regain control of the company, according to the Los Angeles Times. Instead, an alternative and board supported bondholder plan to restructure the company out of bankruptcy will move forward.

The bondholder plan, submitted when American Apparel filed for Chapter 11, essentially transforms $200 million of bonds into equity the company could use to move forward. More money from the bondholders would also be injected for the same purpose. Critically, the plan omits Charney from any part of the company's future.

Dov didn't like this, and instead argued for a $300 million plan led by the private equity firm Hagan Capital group, portraying himself as a poor businessman who is the victim of a mutinous board. Among other stipulations, the Hagan plan would reinstate Charney as the company's leader, citing his founding knowledge as crucial for the company's progress.

The Delaware judge rejected Charney's preferred plan, meaning it now looks like the company has permanently cleansed itself of its founder.

Charney was very unhappy when American Apparel filed for bankruptcy last October. Under the then proposed reorganization plan, backed by several hundred million dollars of privately held investment funding, Charney would be stripped of his authority of the company, and would immediately lose $8.2 million as he watched his publicly traded shares evaporate overnight.

This was simply unacceptable for the man who at one point allegedly found it appropriate to call his female employees "perfect cum targets." Charney took American Apparel's executives to court, where he argued for an alternative to their company reorganization plan that would kick him out permanently.

Sponsored message

In June 2014, Charney was fired by the company's board for allegations of questionable behavior with employees, as well as alleged misuse of company funds. Among other issues, Charney allegedly leaked nude photos of a woman who claimed he kept her as a sex-slave, and was accused of sexually harassing potential new employees both via text message and in person.

A video—since seemingly erased from the Internet—also surfaced showing Dov dancing naked in front of two other employees.

Good luck, Dov. You don't have our sympathies.

One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.

If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today