Dark secrets of American Apparel’s founder Dov Charney unraveled
- By Web Desk -
- Jul 02, 2025
Netflix’s latest documentary, Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel, delves into the contentious history of the clothing brand American Apparel and its controversial founder, Dov Charney.
The film traces the brand’s meteoric rise in the fashion industry, driven by its chic, American-made clothing, and its dramatic downfall due to Charney’s alleged misconduct.
The trailer features claims such as, “Dov doesn’t understand the word ‘no,’” and accusations of him “crossing all kinds of lines and boundaries.”
Charney, who founded American Apparel in 1989, was ousted as CEO in 2014 following allegations of sexual harassment, inappropriate workplace behavior, and using ethnic slurs, as reported by CNBC.
“It was an open secret that Dov was sleeping with employees,” a person states in the trailer, while another notes recurring allegations that fueled outrage. The company terminated Charney in December 2014 for violating its sexual harassment and anti-discrimination policies.
Post-firing, Charney faced a restraining order in 2015 barring him from disparaging American Apparel, per ABC News. He filed a defamation lawsuit against the company, which was dismissed in 2017, and his 2016 bid to buy the brand out of bankruptcy was rejected.
American Apparel, now owned by Gildan Activewear since 2017, operates online without retail stores. Charney, denying the allegations, claimed in a 2020 CNBC statement that the board used “discredited allegations” to remove him.
Watch Trailer here
Undeterred, Charney launched Los Angeles Apparel in 2016, emphasizing sustainability, mirroring American Apparel’s original ethos. Last month, the company announced a new store opening in Soho, New York, via Instagram.
Dov Charney has also collaborated with Kanye West’s Yeezy brand. He has kept his love life and private life out of the public eye in the years since his sexual harassment scandal. Instead, he shows off his love of L.A. by sharing photos he has taken around the city online. “This is my photographic journey of Los Angeles,” his Instagram bio reads.