Thalia's Dressmaker, Mitzy, Is Accused Of Sexually Abusing An Ex Employee

Twenty-year-old Israel Ramirez claims that Mitzy, dressmaker to the stars Thalia and Niurka, sexually abused and raped him for at least seven out of the eleven months the two worked together. Ramirez admits he was hesitant to tell his story at first because his parents would know he was gay. According to Ramirez, while working at Mitzy's store, the designer forced him to have a sexual relationship with him lest he turn the young man over to immigration. Ramirez maintains that sex between the two was never consensual and that he was eventually fired after telling Mitzy that sex between him was making him "feel empty." He recalls how the designer would often invite him to gatherings at his home, then would wait until everyone left to make moves on his young employee. In addition to sexually abusing him, Ramirez says Mitzy also exploited him as an employee, forcing him to work long hours, sometimes seven days a week as he tried to balance work and school, and never paying him in full or on time.  Once the two began having sexual relations, Mitzy insisted that they share a hotel room when traveling for work, although he would fly to runway shows while making Ramirez ride in a truck. Ramirez, who says he took the job because he thought it would open many doors for him, admits Mitzy hit on him the very first time they met, telling the young man that he "needed to see his body." Once he was hired to work in Mitzy's store, the designer allegedly continued to make comments about Ramirez's body, admiring his backside and his thin build. Then, he says, Mitzy began touching him inappropriately, telling him that, if Ramirez refused his advances, he'd have no hesitation in reporting him to immigration services and making sure he'd be sent back home to Mexico. Additionally, he would tell the young man that it would be easy to find out where he lived and make sure that "something happened to him."  Ramirez says he would also like to know that Mitzy is a "fraud" and way overcharges for his Hialeah prom sartorial creations. So. There's that. Throughout his struggle in the aftermath of the alleged abuse, Ramirez has said he's received help and support from Los Angeles' gay community. Ramirez has been in contact with lawyers about his case (after first telling his story to Spanish-language tabloid TVnotas, naturally) and is even considering issuing a restraining order against the designer.  We were mildly surprised that Ramirez would choose to tell his story to TVnotas, which is not exactly known for dealing sensitively to issues surrounding sex, rape or sexuality, but we realized his story would reach more people this way rather than, we don't know, through a niche blog about sexual politics.  Now if only someone can take Mitzy to court for having created this: For those of you who hate yourselves, you can check out more designs on Mitzy's site. 

Un ex empleado de Mitzy lo acusa de abuso sexual [TVnotas, print version]