Cheri Pierson, the woman who accused billionaire Leon Black of raping her two decades ago at Jeffrey Epstein’s Manhattan mansion, has decided to end her lawsuit against the co-founder of Apollo Global Management. Pierson filed a stipulation of discontinuance with a New York state court in Manhattan on Thursday, effectively dismissing her claims. The dismissal is with prejudice, meaning Pierson cannot sue again, and she will not be able to recoup her costs. On Friday, Black dropped a related appeal.
Pierson’s lawyer has not yet responded to requests for comment, while Danya Perry, a lawyer representing Black, confirmed the dismissal of Pierson’s case. Black’s legal team has consistently maintained that Pierson’s claims were baseless. In a statement provided by a spokesperson, Black stated, “I have never met Ms. Pierson. I have no further comment.”
In her November 2022 complaint, Pierson alleged that Epstein arranged for her to give Black a massage in 2002 for a fee of $300. Pierson claimed that Black, who had a significant physical advantage being 8 inches taller and weighing more than twice as much, overpowered her and caused her “excruciating pain.”
Leon Black, with a net worth of $13.6 billion as per Forbes magazine, is currently pursuing a malicious prosecution lawsuit against the Wigdor law firm, which represented Pierson and two other women who accused Black of rape. One of the women, former Russian model Guzel Ganieva, had her lawsuit dismissed in May of last year, while the lawsuit filed by an anonymous autistic woman is still pending.
Black left Apollo, the private equity firm, in 2021 after an external investigation revealed that he had paid Epstein $158 million for tax and estate planning. Additionally, he reached a $62.5 million settlement with the US Virgin Islands, where Epstein owned a property, to avoid a potential lawsuit.
