Penny Lancaster wept today as she told how she was the victim of a cruel sex attack as a virgin young model starting out in the fashion industry.
The 46-year-old wife of rockstar Rod Stewart said a fashion designer spiked her drink after she went to his flat on the way to a modelling job.
In an emotional interview on ITV’s Loose Women, she recalled how she passed out and woke up to find the man lying on top of her.
She compared her ordeal to the recent TV drama series Liar and urged mothers to support their daughters if they too become victims.
Penny Lancaster told how a fashion designer attacked her when she was a young model
Penny was comforted by the show’s hosts Andrea Mclean and Nadia Sawalha as she gave an emotional account of her ordeal
She said: ‘I had a job with a fashion designer and they took me on for a job, then they offered me the opportunity to meet some people at an event.
‘I thought “I might get some more work” so I went with him. He said I have to stop at my apartment to pick something up.
‘He had a little bar in his apartment, he said “let me pour you a drink” and I said okay.
‘Unfortunately the next thing I know I found myself face down on a bed with him on top of me.
‘I couldn’t tell my mum and dad because I thought they would think “what on earth were you doing going back to his house?”.’
Penny, now 46, had worked as a model for years before she met husband Rod Stewart in 1999
Penny pictured in 1993 when she was one of Britain’s most recognisable fashion models
She worked as a fitness instructor before becoming a model and met Rod through her work
She added: ‘I was just naive and I trusted him and, like with the series Liar, my drink was drugged. I can’t remember much of what happened.
‘I know he was on top me and enjoying the experience and I certainly wasn’t
‘I had never had sex at that point so it was a frightening thing. You try to pretend it never happened… I was too afraid to tell anybody.’
She urged the mothers of girls to support them if them go through a similar ordeal to her.
She said: ‘Mothers, if your daughter is able to come and talk to you about it, they have to know they won’t be told off, it’s not their fault they’re not guilty, the other person is.’
‘As a woman, god forbid any man tries it on with me now as an adult, trust me. But as a child you don’t have the tools for it.
‘I don’t want to make my children frightened, I just want to make them aware, let them know they should come to you if anybody touches you .’
Viewers inundated the show praising the star after her emotional appearance on the show
She said she fears models are at particular risk of becoming victims, as they face so much rejection when they first start out and are desperate to find work.
Penny was speaking about the ‘#metoo’ campaign, which has seen thousands of women share their experiences of sexual harassment and violence online.
Her tearful interview provoked a huge response from viewers, with hundreds tweeting the show to offer her support and praise her bravery.
Similarities to moving ITV drama
ITV drama Liar featured two characters claiming the other was lying, after Andrew Earlham (played by Ioann Gruffudd) raped Laura Nielson (Joanne Froggatt).
It transpired during the series that Andrew had spiked Laura’s drink with the date rape drug GHB when she wasn’t looking, after going back to her house following a date.
There was a lack of evidence in the case, meaning her attacker was never brought to justice.
Penny’s ordeal was compared to ITV drama series Liar, starring Ioann Gruffudd and Joanne Froggatt