Who was Linda Evangelista married to? Relationship explored amid abuse allegations

Canadian fashion model Linda Evangelista gave a bombshell revelation about her marriage with former French model and agency boss Gerald Marie. In an appearance on Apple TV's documentary The Super Models, the 58-year-old personality revealed that she was abused during their five-year marriage. She said:

"I learned that maybe I was in the wrong relationship. It's easier said than done to leave an abusive relationship. I understand that concept because I lived it. If it was just a matter of saying, 'I want a divorce, see ya'... it doesn't work that way. He knew not to touch my face, not to touch the money-maker, you know?"

"I married him when I was 22 and I got out when I was 27 and he let me out as long as he got everything. But I was safe and I got my freedom," she added.

Linda Evangelista and Marie were married from 1987 to 1993. At the time, he served as the European chief of Elite Model Management. In 2020, seven women accused Marie of r*pe and s*xual assault, and Evangelista said she believed them while applauding their "courage and strength."

Evangelista said that the women who came out with the allegations against her former husband gave her the courage to speak the truth.

"Thanks to the power of all these women coming forward, God bless all of them, it gave me the courage now to speak... I would love for justice to be served. I would love for a–holes like that to think twice and be afraid and I would love women to know that they're not alone," she said in the documentary.

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Linda Evangelista was unaware of her former husband's antics

Gerald Marie and Linda Evangelista. (Photo via @Madamefigaro/X)

As mentioned above, Gerald Marie was the head of Elite Model Management in Paris when he was married to Linda Evangelista. Marie's influential position afforded him access to young models. As of 2022, 15 women had come forward claiming that Marie had s*xually assaulted them sometime between the 1980s and 1990s.

According to the Daily Mail, some of the victims were as young as 14 years old, and Marie had "prescribed" cocaine to keep them skinny.

Linda Evangelista maintained that she was unaware of her husband's actions throughout their marriage and was kept in the dark about them. While speaking to The Guardian, she said:

"During my relationship with Gérald Marie, I knew nothing of these s*xual allegations against him, so I was unable to help these women."

In accordance with the French statute of limitations, the investigation into the allegations against Gerald Marie was concluded in 2023.

As for Linda's allegations, Marie's representatives told MailOnline:

"Gerald Marie firmly objects to the defamatory and false allegations made against him. He refuses to participate in this dishonest media controversy."

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Apple TV's documentary, The Super Models, also features interviews with Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, and Naomi Campbell.