*After reading this I expect most women will have a change of heart when it comes to having their massage done by a male professional. On the other hand who knows, a surge may occur in the request for the male masseuse.
In any event, if you’re like most of us, you’ll find what this so-called professional did reprehensible and beyond shocking. And as if that’s not bad enough, try this: the lawsuit alleges his employer knew about it and covered it up.
While treating a female client in the Maryland area to a massage for the nationwide chain, Massage Envy, Habtamu Gebreselassie, 24, suddenly tore off the towel that covered the woman and started performing oral sex on her.
Uninvited.
According to the Daily Mail, a lawsuit was filed on Tuesday that accuses Habtamu Gebreselassie of pulling the towel off a client at a DC branch of Massage Envy and licking her vagina ‘without invitation, warning or consent’ before he ‘fell to his knees and apologized.’
The lawsuit also claims that Gebreselassie had previously abused other female patrons of Massage Envy, and that the company had moved him to new locations as a response, rather than firing him.
…and in case you’re wondering, YES, the chain is being sued as well.
After the suit was filed by ‘Jane Doe,’ three other women came forward to tell how they, too, had been violated by Gebreselassie.
The Daily Mail writes…
According to the suit, Doe – who is in her twenties – was in the final 15 minutes of a 90-minute massage at a location at 4926 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, in DC when the assault occurred.
She had been naked except for a sheet and had an eye pillow covering her eyes when Gebreselassie, who is originally from Ethiopia, made his move, the suit claims.
He moved the sheet and then licked her – leaving her ‘fearful and in shock’ – before apologizing, the suit says.
Adding insult to injury the lawsuit also claims that Gebreselassie refused to leave the room until ‘Doe’ told him more than six times that they were ‘done.’
The accused man had been charged by two of his previous alleged victims, one of whom complained to management but they refused to let her cancel her membership. What they did instead was offer her a free spa package and shared with her that he’d been shipped off to a DC location, she claims.
Another woman, 66-years-old, also came forward. On August 28 she was being given a massage by Gebreselassie in the DC Massage Envy when he touched her inappropriately, she told police.
She claimed that after she shouted at him, he fell to his knees and told her: ‘I’ve never done this before. I don’t know what got into me.’
Jailed: Gebreselassie, who is from Ethiopia but lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, is jailed without bond and is in court on October 11. He has turned down a plea deal.
This is certainly one hot mess for the franchise. And the revelation comes at the worse time for Massage Envy; who has been promoting themselves heavily in TV commercials as well as their recent ‘Train Like A Pro’ contest challenge — where they handpicked a dozen health conscious contestants and eliminated two weekly before claiming their winner and newest Ambassador to represent their chain.
A man.
The victim is demanding more than $25 million in damages for ‘fear, emotional distress and humiliation’ that she will suffer ‘for the rest of her life.’
Gebreselassie was arraigned on September 21 and declined a plea deal. He was finally fired by Massage Envy.
READ MORE AND WATCH THE DAILY MAIL VIDEO REPORT ON THE MASSAGE ENVY SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE HERE
