Billionaire Justin Hemmes emailed 5,000 of his employees on Tuesday afternoon to say he is ‘devastated’ at allegations made about behaviour at the Ivy, part of his hospitality empire.
The exclusive nightclub frequented by high rollers faces bombshell allegations of sex assault, harassment and grooming along with copious drug use enabled by CCTV ‘blind spots’.
In the email to staff, first reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, Mr Hemmes wrote that he was ‘devastated to read the allegations against Merivale concerning our staff and our culture’.
‘Please be assured that we are taking this matter very seriously and do not condone, encourage or tolerate any of the behaviours which have been alleged.
‘We will continue to work to address every allegation made within today’s article.’
Level 6, located in the Sydney CBD as part of the Ivy-branded cluster of venues owned by Mr Hemmes’ Merivale group, was ‘one step short of being a brothel’, an unnamed manager told Nine newspapers.
Staff at the ritzy venue, where membership costs $10,000 a year, have detailed allegations of sexual assault and being pressured into pleasing the largely wealthy male clientele.
In return, the hand-picked bevy of glamorous young women, mostly aged between 18 and 21, employed as ‘hosts’ would take home Gucci handbags and up to $600 in tips for a couple of nights’ work.
Billionaire Justin Hemmes (pictured right) emailed 5,000 of his employees on Tuesday afternoon to say he is ‘devastated’ at allegations made about behaviour at the Ivy, part of his hospitality empire
The raunchy tone of the club is established by the decor and furnishings including a photo of a half-naked woman with the word ‘Dreamlover’ tattooed across her chest as well as a stripper’s pole.
Poker chips are decorated with a woman in red lingerie bending over.
Merivale operates more than 70 hospitality venues across New South Wales and Victoria.
‘Utmost in my mind is my concern for all of you, and especially for the distress caused by the aspersions that have been cast on those who work and have worked in the past, at Merivale and within the hospitality industry in general,’ Hemmes said in his email to staff.
‘I am overwhelmingly sad that today’s article broadly denigrates everything that we do.’
More to come…
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk