Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Billionaire casino mogul Steve Wynn denies allegation he forced woman to have sex

Mr Wynn is also the finance chair of the Republican National Committee 

Alexandra Wilts
Washington DC
Friday 26 January 2018 14:01 EST
Comments
Steve Wynn has denied the sexual assault allegations.
Steve Wynn has denied the sexual assault allegations. (Getty)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Billionaire casino mogul Steve Wynn forced a manicurist to have sex and then paid her a $7.5m (£5.2m) settlement, a report has alleged.

Mr Wynn, who turns 76 on Saturday, is said to have pressured the married woman to take her clothes off and lie on the massage table he kept in his office, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.

After being told of the allegations, the woman’s supervisor said she filed a detailed report to the casino’s human-resources department recounting the incident, the newspaper said.

Mr Wynn is a former casino-business rival of President Donald Trump, who has referred to Mr Wynn as a “great friend” and that he values his advice. After Mr Trump’s election, Mr Wynn became the finance chairman of the Republican National Committee.

The Journal also spoke to dozens of people who have worked at Mr Wynn’s casinos. They reportedly described behaviour that indicated a decades-long pattern of sexual misconduct by Mr Wynn.

Mr Wynn has denied all sexual assault allegations and said the accusations are the work of his ex-wife, Elaine Wynn, with whom he is currently engaged in a nasty legal battle.

Mr Wynn said in a written statement to the Journal that “the idea that I ever assaulted any woman is preposterous”.

He said in a statement: “The instigation of these accusations is the continued work of my ex-wife Elaine Wynn, with whom I am involved in a terrible and nasty lawsuit in which she is seeking a revised divorce settlement.”

A lawyer for Ms Wynn did not immediately respond to The Independent‘s request for comment.

The Journal said Mr Wynn did not provide any further response to other allegations of sexual misconduct that the newspaper asked about.

Early on in his career, Mr Wynn oversaw the construction and operation of hotels and casinos that have become famous fixtures on the Las Vegas strip, including the Wynn, the Mirage and Treasure Island. He is currently behind a $2.4bn (£1.7bn) casino in the Boston area, according to the Journal.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in