Posh's friend sued for rape

Victoria Beckham's friend and record producer Damon Dash has been accused of raping a former model.

A £10 million lawsuit filed in New York claims that Dash assaulted Kirstie Thompson while she was working on location in Brazil for Naomi Campbell.

Ms Thompson claims to have been sexually assaulted in a hotel room while she lay in a stupor after drinking eight glasses of champagne and taking half a tablet of ecstasy.

Dash, who founded Roc-A-Fella records with rapper Jay-Z, was called in by the former Spice Girl's new label Telstar, to revive her fading music career by giving a more "urban" and rap edge to her latest single, This Groove.

He once boasted: "If we can make Victoria hot, we can make anybody hot."

In the lawsuit filed at Manhattan's supreme court, 32-year-old Ms Thompson, who now works for a fashion house in New York, says the rape lasted just 15 seconds.

She says that Dash first pestered her for sex, but that she turned him down three times. "Everyone has sex with me," Ms Thompson claims he told her.

The attack is said to have happened after a New Year's Eve party over a year ago given by millionaire tycoon Mario Garnero with guests including the president of Brazil.

Ms Thompson says she went back to her hotel room and collapsed. She woke up to find Dash, 32, "on top of me".

A spokeswoman for Dash said the claims were " baseless and untrue".

She went on: "These are ludicrous allegations. Damon hasn't been charged with anything."

Dash was born in New York's tough Harlem neighbourhood before creating a £300 million fashion and music empire.