Billionaire Frank Stronach says the allegations against him — a total of 13 charges, including sex assault and forcible confinement — are “a lie” and his accusers are after his money.
“We have a lot of data which totally will prove that those things are lies,” Stronach said in a sit-down interview with CBC’s The Fifth Estate on Tuesday. He did not explain to what, exactly, he was referring.
The 91-year-old was arrested on June 7 and charged with rape, indecent assault on a female, two counts of sexual assault and forcible confinement, according to Peel Regional Police. An additional eight charges were laid after police identified more victims, CBC News reported. During the interview, his lawyer Leora Shemesh was present and maintained Stronach’s innocence. There are 10 women who have allegedly been assaulted by Stronach, ranging from the late 1970s to 2023, per CBC News.
“But I feel sorry for the women (who made) those charges,” Stronach said during the interview.
The businessman revealed that he believed money was the main motivator behind the women coming forward.
“Women might say ‘Look that way we can collect some money this way or that way,” he said, adding that the problem was “poverty.”
When asked whether he believed it was the goal of the women to get money from him, he said: “There’s no question that’s quite clear. It’s quite clear.”
One of the victims, who wanted to remain anonymous, spoke to The Fifth Estate about her experience. The 65-year-old woman, referred to as Leigh, worked as a groom at Stronach’s stables. She alleged that she was raped by Stronach in 1980 after he bought her a glass of champagne at a bar and she woke up with him at an apartment.
“It was rape. It happened. It was happening to me. I saw it happening,” she said. “He took away my fire.”
She ended up quitting her job, CBC News reported, and was too ashamed to share her story until 2015. Leigh said she filed a complaint with the Toronto Police Service 35 years later. She had an interview with two officers, but never heard back about the case until she was contacted by Peel police.
“We’ve held it in for so long,” said Leigh. “I didn’t even realize how many women this might have even happened to.”
York Regional Police, Toronto Police Service and Peel Regional Police would not comment on the ongoing investigation.
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