L.A. jury orders Alki David to pay $900 million in sexual assault suit
A Los Angeles jury on Monday awarded a woman $900 million in damages in her sexual assault case against the heir to a Coca-Cola bottling fortune, her attorney announced.
The woman, who was identified as a Jane Doe in her lawsuit against Alkiviades "Alki" David, alleged she was harassed and raped over a three-year period from 2016 to 2019, according to her attorney.
"It’s so despicable, the facts of this case. He raped my client while on trial in another case," said her attorney, Gary Dordick.
An attorney for David could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.
Read more: Meet Alki David: The self-appointed ambassador for the 'wronged' men of the #MeToo movement
The jury award, which Dordick's firm said is believed to be "one of the largest sexual assault verdicts in history," is just the latest against David. He has lost multiple other sexual misconduct cases brought against him, and he and his businesses have been ordered to pay about $70 million in combined damages.
David is known for his company Hologram USA, which creates holograms of dead celebrities. His company portfolio has also included numerous internet streaming services.
The woman who sued David is a model in her 30s who knew him as a "media mogul and billionaire" when she went to work for him at Hologram USA.
Read more: Jury orders billionaire Alki David to pay $50 million in punitive damages in sexual battery suit
From the start of her employment, David's conduct in the office was concerning, the woman claimed. A female colleague told the woman that David had forcibly kissed her, the lawsuit said. And in 2016, the plaintiff alleged David tried to kiss her during a work trip on his private island in Greece, but she turned away and he apologized.
She was laid off later that year and did not speak to David again until 2018, according to the complaint. David then offered her a job as a brand ambassador at his cannabis manufacturing company, Swiss-X.
After accepting the job, David invited the woman back to his hotel room where he had her sample what he said was a CBD product, according to the lawsuit. The woman began to feel inebriated and disoriented and David then masturbated and forced her to touch his penis, according to the suit.
In April 2019, the woman said David raped her in a small room during a business meeting with his Doberman pinscher present, according to the lawsuit.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
