Laurie Marsden

Laurie Marsden
Born
Laurie Ann Gehen
OccupationModel
Movement#MeToo

Laurie Ann Marsden (née Gehen)[1][2] is a therapist, writer, and activist. A former model in the 80s and 90s,[3] she is an activist of #MeToo in the fashion industry and speaks internationally to protect women from violence.[4][1][5][6]

Career

Marsden was a model in the eighties and early nineties and shot for magazines including covers.[7][8]

In the mid-1990s Marsden attended Columbia University.[1][2][8] Marsden graduated magna cum laude from Columbia University's School of General Studies and then received her Master's in Social Work also from Columbia University.[1][9] Marsden is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a member of the Australian Association of Social Workers and developed the online therapy program for women in 2013.[8][10]

Activism

Marsden is currently an activist in the #metoo movement in the fashion industry.[5] She gave speeches at two Women's Marches in Sag Harbor, NY.[11] She has spoken openly about a sexual assault by former agent Gerald Marie while modeling in Paris in the 1980s.[4][3][5][12] She supports 15 fellow survivors and has given testimony to French authorities, though they cannot prosecute due to the Statute of Limitations.[3][13][14][15] She gave a speech to the French Senate on September 14, 2021 regarding changing and reforming laws to aid sexual abuse survivors.[16] She addressed the EU Parliament in October 2022 to help stop violence against women.[12] Asked why women don't come forward earlier with sexual assault accusations she told the BBC, “Many people will not talk about it and will not disclose it, really because they are not psychologically capable of doing so. And that's a really important point that has not been taken into account when the laws were written.”[16]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "WEDDINGS; Laurie Gehen Richard Marsden". The New York Times. 2001-05-27. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  2. ^ a b Staff (21 June 2001). "COUPLE AT HOME IN AUSTRALIA". Buffalo News. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  3. ^ a b c "Exposing the ugly truth of the beauty industry". 9now.nine.com.au. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  4. ^ a b Osborne, Lucy (2020-11-20). "'What he was doing was in plain sight': more ex-models accuse Gérald Marie of sexual assault". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  5. ^ a b c "Models allege they were sexually assaulted by French fashion titan Gerald Marie: "He tried to rape me"". www.cbsnews.com. 11 June 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  6. ^ "'We need to change the law', says victim of gender-based violence". euronews. 2022-10-14. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  7. ^ "Former model details sexual assault allegations at hands of one of world's top agents". 7NEWS. 2021-02-28. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  8. ^ a b c csswadmin (2015-06-04). "How Laurie Marsden (MSW'99) Evolved into Helping Other Women Evolve". The Columbia School of Social Work. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  9. ^ Today, Psychology. "Laurie Marsden, Clinical Social Work/Therapist, Sag Harbor, NY, 11963". Psychology Today. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  10. ^ "Columbia-Educated Psychotherapist Laurie Marsden Launches New Women's Help Website". Yahoo Finance. 17 October 2013. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  11. ^ "Women's March Draws A Crowd In Sag Harbor On Saturday". 27 East. 2018-01-20. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  12. ^ a b "Models who say they were victims of the fashion industry's rape culture are fighting for change". www.cbsnews.com. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  13. ^ Paris, Emily Kent Smith. "Models unite to put sex abuse claims in spotlight". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  14. ^ Média, Prisma (8 September 2021). "Carré Otis accuse de viols le Français Gérald Marie, ex-patron d'Elite, et lance un appel à victimes – Voici". Voici.fr (in French). Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  15. ^ "Violences sexuelles : l'ex-mannequin Carre Otis lance un appel à victimes contre un ancien patron d'Elite, Gérald Marie". LEFIGARO (in French). 2021-09-07. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  16. ^ a b "Ex-models demand change over French sex abuse laws". BBC News. 2021-09-15. Retrieved 2023-04-19.