Kevin Sorbo Says Gianni Versace Sexually Harassed Him; Designer Allegedly Wanted to 'Build a Bridge'
At the height of his career, "Hercules" main star Kevin Sorbo was a well-built man a few inches north of six feet. This, along with his general good looks, may have made him a target for sexual harassment, as he claimed in a recent podcast.
The TV star was a guest on Adam Carolla's podcast this Tuesday, Oct. 24, when the subject of disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein came up. The talk then veered off towards the subject of sexual harassment and assault.
This brought back a few memories for Sorbo, who offered his own experience. "I've got my sexual harassment story," he said, referring to an alleged encounter with top fashion designer Gianni Versace during the 80s.
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It was 1984 then, and "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" was still a script waiting to be adapted to the small screen. At the time, Sorbo was working as a model.
"He wanted to meet me because of my height. At 6-foot, 3-inches, he wanted me to do fashion shows with these 6-foot tall women," Sorbo said, recalling his encounter with the designer, who has been dead for about a decade this year.
Versace, as recounted by Sorbo, invited him to a party filled with superstars of the time, including opera legend Luciano Pavarotti and romantic star Richard Gere. Sitting together, Versace could not keep his hands to himself. "All of a sudden, his hand goes up my leg," Sorbo said, recounting the events that night.
Sorbo rebuffed the designer's advances, saying that he does not do things that way. Versace pressed on, offering to "build a bridge" between their interests, as quoted by the Hollywood Reporter.
The two would remain friends, although Sorbo never got to be a model for Versace's shows after that. It's not a complete loss for Sorbo though.
"I got four free dinners," the former model said.
