Fashion mogul Peter Nygard sexual assault trial begins in Montreal

Criminal defence lawyer Nick Cake says he ‘does not see any grounds’ for Nygard’s legal team to present an additional appeal.

MONTREAL — Fashion mogul Peter Nygard will face sexual assault and forcible confinement charges at the Montreal courthouse today.

The 84-year-old, who founded the now-defunct women’s apparel company Nygard International, denied accusations that he used his position to lure women and girls.

Quebec prosecutors charged Nygard with one count of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement in 2022.

The alleged events would have taken place between November 1997 and November 1998.

The alleged victim’s identity and the evidence presented at a preliminary hearing in January 2025 are covered by a publication ban.

The case is separate from Nygard’s conviction in Toronto, where he was found guilty of four counts of sexual assault in 2023 and sentenced to 11 years in prison.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2026.