Keri Claussen Khalighi
Keri Claussen Khalighi
Photo of Keri Claussen Khalighi with her husband Amir Khalighi at their wedding
Keri Sue Claussen Khalighi (born September 22, 1974) is a former model and mother from Blair, Nebraska On November 19, 2017 Keri went public in Los Angeles Times article accusing hip hop Mogul Russell Simmons of raping her while Hollywood director Brett Ratner watched in 1991. [1]
Early Life
Personal Lifestyle
Keri Claussen Khalighi modeling during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 1995
Keri Claussen Khalighi and her husband, actor Amir Khalighi live in Los Angeles, California with their three children. The couple married on October 14, 2017. Keri is expecting a third daughter and is 38 weeks pregnant. She has two daughters from a previous marriage and is the stepmother to a child from Amir Khalighi's previous marriage to Stephanie Bergman. [1]
Keri Claussen Khalighi approach to wellness and aging includes Cardio Barre workouts, organic, locally-sourced food, being in love, CBD Oil, Natura Bisse skin care, dance parties, radical integrity, forgiveness, women’s circles, and sex.”
Keri Claussen Khalighi is passionate about environmentalism, sustainable living, and respect to all human beings. For all these reasons, this past November, she and her boyfriend now husband, Amir Khalighi took a trip to Standing Rock Indian Reservation during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. The couple raised money and worked closely with tribe elders to acquire winter necessities for the Oceti Sakowin Camp. Keri Claussen Khalighi found the trip a profound and life-changing experience.
Career
Keri Sue Claussen Khalighi modeling for the January, 2012 cover of Freundin Donna
Keri Claussen Khalighi started modelling at the age of 13 after she was discovered by an agent from New York City while enrolled in a modeling school in Nebraska. Her first booking was modelling on the cover of Sassy (magazine) when she was 15.
Keri Claussen Khalighi's big break came in 1993.
During that year, she modeled in over 20 fashion shows including shows for designer brands including Chanel, Chloé and Karl Lagerfeld. She turned down opportunities to model for Fendi since their collection had a large number items using animal fur and Claussen Khalighi was morally opposed to the use of animal fur in fashion. Keri and her friend Shiraz Tal also told designer Roberto Cavalli to go fuck himself and walked out of his show that year.
Keri Claussen Khalighi is best known for starring in the first ever Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 1995. She also modeled in the 1998 and 1999 shows.
"It was early in 1995 and was held at the Plaza Hotel in New York.
I remember that my agent initially thought it was of questionable quality and I almost didn't do it for that reason.
We needn’t have worried, however, because the whole gig was top-level.
Everyone involved—from the stylists to the makeup, hair, and production teams —were the crème de la crème of New York fashion.
The vibe backstage was electric.
There had never been a high-caliber show where supermodels walked down a runway in underwear before.
I remember being very relieved that all my looks had accompanying silk robes—you know, for butt coverage.”
In addition to modelling in fashion shows, Keri Claussen Khalighi has modeled for magazine covers including multiple issues of Cosmopolitan. She has also modeled for advertisements by C&A, Cortefiel, Danone Velout Yoghurt, Emporio Armani, Palmers, and Victoria's Secret.
In 2005, Keri Claussen Khalighi became pregnant with her first daughter and decided to take time off from modelling.
After the birth of her first daughter, she decided to take seven year hiatus from modelling to focus on motherhood and later to focus on raising her second daughter.
She returned to modelling in 2012 mainly for financial reasons as she wanted to give her two daughters the best opportunities.
Her goal is to work with extremely kind, creative, and fun people while making really decent money that affords her family extra freedom to live well and travel.
She also has ideas for designing a comprehensive orientation series for new, young models in the business as a way of giving back, offering the guidance and mentorship.
Since her return, Claussen Khalighi has modeled for magazine covers including the German fashion magazine, Freundin Donna.
Rape by Russell Simmons
Alleged sex criminals Russel Simmons and Brett Ratner standing together at a red carpet event years after Simmons raped Keri Claussen Khalighi
In 1991, when Keri Claussen Khalighi was 17 she was allegedly raped by Russell Simmons after a casting call where she was auditioning for a model position while Brett Ratner watched. [1]
At the time Ratner was an up-and-coming music video director and a protege of Simmons, the Def Jam Recordings mogul. The two men took Khalighi to dinner one night in 1991 at Mr. Chow in New York City and then back to Simmons’ apartment to show her a music video they’d been working on. [1]
After entering the apartment Simmons began making aggressive sexual advances, yanking off her clothes, Khalighi said.
“I looked over at Brett and said ‘help me’ and I'll never forget the look on his face,” she recalled.
“In that moment, the realization fell on me that they were in it together.”
Khalighi said that Simmons, who was then about twice her age, tried to force her to have sexual intercourse. “I fought it wildly,” she said. He eventually relented and coerced her to perform oral sex, she alleged. “I guess I just acquiesced.” Ratner, meanwhile, “just sat there and watched,” she said. [1]
Feeling “disgusting,” Khalighi said she went to take a shower.
Minutes later, she alleged, Simmons walked up behind her in the shower and briefly penetrated her without her consent.
She said she jerked away, then he left.
“It hurt so much.”
Ratner and Simmons were also accused of sexually assaulting another woman together in a separate incident.
The two men had been investigated by Beverly Hills Police for sexually assaulting a 29-year-old woman at Ratner's home in Beverly Hills, California. According to an internal D.A. database, the case was investigated as a misdemeanor sexual battery involving masturbation, D.A. spokesman Ricardo Santiago said. The D.A.’s office decided not to file charges against Ratner and Simmons on Jan. 4, 2002. In such cases, the D.A.’s office typically issues a letter explaining its decision. However, letters from that period have since been destroyed, according to the D.A.’s office. Both men have also been accused of sex crimes individually. In November, 2017 six women came forward to accuse Ratner of a variety of sex crimes and allegations sexual misconduct.
Aftermath
Public Response
The Today Show interview by Megyn Kelly where Keri Claussen Khalighi discusses the allegations that Russell Simmons raped her while Brett Ratner watched
In a statement, Russell Simmons strongly disputed her account.
“Everything that occurred between Keri and me occurred with her full consent and participation,” he said.
Much of the two days and one night he spent with her, he said, was with other people, or in public.
Brett Ratner had “no recollection” of Khalighi asking him for help and denied witnessing her “protest,” his attorney Martin Singer said.
The Today Show Interview
On November 22, 2017 Keri Claussen Khalighi discussed the alleged rape on The Today Show with Megyn Kelly. During the interview Claussen Khalighi told the Kelly that Simmons’ claim that what transpired in his apartment, where director-producer Brett Ratner was also present, in 1991 was “completely consensual” is “ludicrous.”
“Russell and I have actually had a face-to-face confrontation around this,” Khalighi told Kelly via video.
“We’ve had phone conversations where we’ve had a conversation about what happened where there was no dispute of what we were talking about.
We were both talking about what happened on that night and he actually apologized.”
“Part of what’s so confusing and re-traumatizing is what he’s speaking about privately with me is completely different than what’s come out publicly,” Khalighi continued.
“And that’s the piece that’s been really, really, really upsetting, disappointing and quite honestly, just repugnant with the hypocrisy and the lies and the denial.”
Khalighi also reiterated that Ratner ignored her when she sought help during Simmons’ aggressive sexual advances, which included tearing off her clothes.
“This was their plan all along,” she said.
“I was frozen,” she told Kelly.
“I looked over at Brett and asked for help because I thought we were friends.
It was a very confusing and terrifying moment.”
Khalighi also explained why she didn’t flee after the initial assault.
She stayed to take a shower and says Simmons walked up from behind, briefly penetrating her without her consent.
“I certainly froze, and I certainly did what I could to normalize what was an incredibly hard-to-process situation,” she added.
“It took me years to process this experience.”