LA Direct Models Owner Derek Hay Testifies in Labor Board Hearing

LOS ANGELES—LA Direct Models owner Derek Hay today testified at an administrative hearing at the California Labor Commissioner’s Office over multiple claims that he took advantage of women he represented. On the stand, Hay denied he sexually abused three of his clients. Special Hearing Officer Patricia Salazar presided over the hearing at the downtown Los Angeles office of the Department of Industrial Relations Division of Labor Standards Enforcement for the State of California, which is looking into abuse complaints filed by adult starlets Shay Evans, Hadley Viscara, Sofi Ryan, Andi Rye and Charlotte Cross against Hay. “I had a consensual sexual relationship with them,” said Hay, who testified for the first time during the hearing over sexual abuse claims by Evans, Viscara and Ryan. When asked whether he assaulted them, he said, “That is patently false.” Hay argued that he was in a relationship at various times with each of the three women and that their complaints against him are meritless and meant to damage him personally. The veteran agent told the hearing that he and Shay Evans dated frequently and had sex multiple times at Las Vegas home, and while in Los Angeles and in New York, where she claimed she felt pressured to have sex with him to further her career following a visit to Sapphire New York, where an LA Direct performer was feature dancing. Likewise, Hay refuted claims by Sofi Ryan, who said Hay had pulled off the road and demanded she manually masturbate him or he would leave her stranded in the desert during a drive to Las Vegas. “That simply didn’t happen,” Hay said, in response Ryan’s testimony of the alleged incident. Earlier in the day, Ryan tearfully testified that she was traumatized by Hay’s purported actions. She also assailed Hay for booking her with a male performer who was on her “no” list, making her feel trapped into doing the scene face a kill fee for failing to perform. “He knew I didn’t want to work with him,” she said, fighting back tears. “He didn’t care. He didn’t give a f***! He’s a terrible person.” Although Hay’s attorney, Richard W. Freeman Jr., provided copies of a flight reservation for the September 2017 trip to Las Vegas, Ryan denied she flew there and back with Hay. Hay explained that he and Ryan had been in a relationship for about five months before breaking up, but he denied he retaliated against her by refusing to book her for adult shoots, as she alleged. Ryan said she went from averaging 10 to 14 shoots every two weeks to just three to four per month starting in October 2017. Hay also denied he took advantage of Hadley Viscara, who has claimed she was sexually assaulted by Hay when she was drunk at his Las Vegas home in August 2017 after they attended the Floyd Mayweather-Connor McGregor boxing match. “We were enjoying each other’s company and Hadley was feeling good and jumped on the bed,” Hay said. “I think she wanted to continue what we started a couple of days earlier and we became intimate.” Hay added that the encounter was consensual and not coerced. Earlier in the day, adult starlet Andi Rye was cross examined about a scene she was booked for with adult director Hay’s longtime friend Pierre Woodman, who went off script after a double penetration scene and then dragged her by the hair into the bathroom to shoot an unscheduled oral sex scene. Rye was questioned why she never said anything to Hay about the incident, and she replied that it was because she was afraid what Hay would do if she complained about his friend. Also testifying in the case was ATMLA owner Mark Schechter who said booking, cancellation and kill fees are charged by many other adult talent agencies, not just LA Direct, which the petitioners complain has frequently charged them high kill fees for being unable to participate in scheduled shoots. Allan B. Gelbard, who represents the five petitioners, said LA Direct’s fees were applied unfairly to his clients, who had their earnings repeatedly deducted for a variety of fees and costs in order to benefit the agency. After the hearing, attorney Freeman said he was pleased with the day’s testimony. “We had always intended to refute the claims that the various women had made about forced sexual activity. Derek had always acknowledged that he had sexual relationships with three of them at different times under different circumstances. and any allegations that he had forced or non-consensual sex is entirely untrue. Derek has started by testifying on direct examination of denial of any unwanted sexual activity and I’m sure Mr. Gelbard will be loaded with a ton of questions of him, but I’m comfortable and confident that Derek will stand his ground.” The hearing resumes Friday.