Who Is Philip Green? British Billionaire Accused Of Misdemeanor Assault, Parliament May Strip Him Of Knighthood

British Parliament unanimously voted last week to strip knighthood from billionaire Sir Philip Green, in the wake of the collapse of one of his retail businesses and a lingering $1 billion pension deficit that affects 20,000 past and present British workers.

Meanwhile, reports surfaced on Friday that Green was charged with four counts of misdemeanor assault in Tucson, Arizona, stemming from two incidents in 2016 and 2018 where he allegedly touched and repeatedly slapped the backside of a Pilates instructor at a desert resort.

The move to strip Green of his knighthood is reportedly the first time Parliament has taken the extraordinary step but the action is really only a recommendation to the committee that ultimately has authority to take away the retail mogul’s title.

Green, 67, is worth $5.3 billion and is ranked by Forbes as the fourth richest in the U.K. on the magazine’s most recent World Billionaires list. He has said he is “sad and very, very, very, sorry” for the collapse of his BHS retail chain. Green purchased the company in 2000 for a reported $300 million. Afterward, he folded it into an investment holding company, Taveta, and then sold it for 1 pound. Shortly afterward, the company collapsed, affecting 11,000 employees.

Taveta also holds a 92% interest in the British retail conglomerate Arcadia Group, which reported an uptick across its financials at the same time BHS tanked. Taveta is ultimately controlled by Green’s wife, Christina.

Arcadia Group controls Top Shop, a multinational fashion retailer with about 500 shops worldwide, which includes about 300 in the U.K.

As for the charges by the Pilates instructor, Green has denied wrongdoing.

In a statement to CNN, Green “strenuously denies these allegations and is disappointed that the charges have been filed in his absence and they are minor categories of misdemeanor in the United States.” The statement further denied all allegations of sexual assault or misconduct.

In a police interview, CNN reported that the 37-year-old woman told Pima County Sheriff’s detectives the “creepy old man” had “vigorously” slapped her backside during a Pilates session at the resort. She told authorities she reported the incident to resort management and was told the behavior wouldn’t be repeated. Then, in January 2018, Green took another class with the instructor and she claimed that “this time, instead of slapping my butt, he puts his hands, like, he wraps his hands around my waist and then grabs my butt cheek and just puts his hand there and just holds it there as he’s hugging me.”

Canyon Ranch management told CNN they would not comment on the incident and added the resort does “not condone or tolerate inappropriate behavior toward our employees.”

Green will be arraigned on the charges at 9 a.m. on June 19, in Tucson. Each count carries a $500 penalty and 30 days in jail.