Superdry co-founder James Holder has been jailed for eight years after being convicted of rape. The woman he attacked, referred to as Gemma to protect her anonymity, revealed in an interview that she had been working for Holder at the time of the assault and had to return to his employ days after the attack.
Gemma recounted the incident, which occurred in 2022 after work drinks. Holder entered her taxi following the event and subsequently raped her in her own home. She described the profound fear and dread she experienced upon returning to work on the Monday morning following the attack, facing Holder at a new business he had launched after departing Superdry in 2016.
"He did," Gemma said when asked if Holder spoke to her that week. "Very much like he would have spoken to me the week before. As if nothing had happened."
Holder, 54, was sentenced in May for the "despicable piece of sexual violence," according to court statements. Gemma's right to anonymity had previously prevented reporting on her working relationship with Holder. However, in her first media interview, she detailed her employment history with him.
She first worked for Holder at Superdry in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, before joining another of his ventures. While at Superdry, she stated she had no direct interaction with Holder, describing him as having an almost "celebrity-like" status. However, upon moving to a new company he was starting, she observed his behavior becoming increasingly "controlling." She characterized the work environment as one with "no room for mistakes" and where employees were on "high alert."
"It certainly was a way of trying to command respect and a sort of allegiance to his agenda, for sure," she added.