Sifting through this week’s explosive lawsuit against Leon Black by an ex-Russian model, there may be a bright spot for Black: The case isn’t likely to dig up any dirt about the billionaire’s alleged ties with Jeffrey Epstein.
That’s because the defamation suit filed Tuesday by Guzel Ganieva — a single mother who denies Black’s claim that the pair had a “consensual affair,” instead accusing him of “sadistic sexual acts” — doesn’t mention Epstein, and therefore doesn’t provide grounds for digging into matters pertaining to the dead pedophile, legal experts say.
Another potential positive for Black: While the lawsuit includes a gruesome allegation of a 2014 rape, it isn’t likely to spur an investigation by the New York District Attorney, according to experts.
“Winning a rape case is so difficult,” says New York trial lawyer Mark Moody. “It happened seven years ago. Presumably, there is no evidence. It also looks like a ‘he said, she said’ story. It would be difficult to prove it criminally.”
It could be, however, that the positives end there. That’s because the series of graphic accusations in the suit, filed in New York state court, threaten to dwarf concerns around Black’s ties to Epstein, which
