Natalie Massenet on Wednesday withdrew her lawsuit against former partner Erik Torstensson, according to a filing with Los Angeles County Superior Court.
The dismissal comes a month after Massenet — who founded the luxury e-tailer Net-a-Porter in 2000 and co-founded the venture capital firm Imaginary Ventures in 2018 — sued Torstensson for emotional distress, breach of contract, fraud and intentional deceit.
In the original lawsuit that was filed on Aug. 20, Massenet alleged that her uncovering of Torstensson’s drug addiction and infidelity led to the couple’s split in May. She also accused Torstensson of using their relationship to gain access to her extensive fashion network and equities and investments worth more than $100 million. Massenet went on to claim that she spent $95 million on the couple’s lifestyle with the promise that Torstensson would repay her, but that he had “cut her out of any earnings” of his various investments since their relationship ended, according to the original filing.
Torstenssen — who co-founded the denim brand Frame in 2012 with Skims’ chief executive Jens Grede — met Massenet in 2009 when he pitched her on a menswear division of Net-a-Porter, which would eventually become Mr Porter and launch the following year, according to the August filing. The couple had a son in 2017.
Following news of Massenet’s lawsuit, a representative for Frame told The Business of Fashion that Torstensson “had decided to step away from the company to attend to personal matters, effective immediately.” Torstensson reportedly filed a child custody action in the New York Supreme Court in Manhattan alleging that Massenet’s drug and alcohol use made her an unfit parent, according to a report in the New York Times.
Massenet and Torstensson could not be reached for comment.
Net-a-Porter Founder Sues Ex-Partner for Fraud, Emotional Distress
In a bombshell lawsuit, Natalie Massenet alleges Frame denim co-founder Erik Torstensson deceived her into spending $95 million to fund their lifestyle and support his business ventures. Frame said Torstensson has stepped away from the company.
