Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's company Dualstar have responded to claims that interns were allegedly mistreated in the workplace, following the news that a lawsuit has been filed against the group. A spokesperson for the designing duo's company, which includes their successful fashion line The Row, has denied the claims that they failed to pay 40 interns.
The Olsen twins at the 2015 Met Gala
"As an initial matter, Dualstar is an organisation that is committed to treating all individuals fairly and in accordance with all applicable laws," read a statement from Dualstar's Annett Wolf. "The allegations in the complaint filed against Dualstar are groundless and Dualstar will vigorously defend itself against plaintiff's claims in court, not before the media.
"Dualstar is confident that once the true facts of this case are revealed, the lawsuit will be dismissed in its entirety."
The lawsuit's lead plaintiff Shahista Lalani revealed that the Olsen twins themselves had not been the reason for her decision to take action.
"They're really nice people," she told Page Six, describing the stylish siblings. "They were never mean to anyone. They're business people."
However, Shahista has claimed that The Row's head technical designer had mistreated her. "She was very demanding," she said. "I was doing the work of three interns. I was talking to her all day, all night; emails at night time for the next day, like 10 pm at night.
The complaint also alleges that Shahista worked 50-hour weeks "inputting data into spreadsheets, making tech sheets, running personal errands for paid employees, organising materials, photocopying, sewing, pattern cutting, among other related duties".
The lawsuit also includes claims that the interns "should have been paid the minimum wage plus overtime because they were doing the same type of jobs as the paid colleagues without receiving academic or vocational credit."
