Tal Alexander announces he will step away from his brokerage firm amid rape allegation

• Star real estate broker Tal Alexander takes leave from brokerage firm after rape allegation.

• A woman accused Tal and his brother Alon of raping her in 2012 while another brother Oren watched.

• Oren also recently stepped down from brokerage firm Official Partners amid rape accusations.

Tal Alexander, a real estate agent whose star-studded résumé includes the sale of America's priciest ever home, is stepping away from the brokerage firm he helped found after a woman alleged in a civil lawsuit that he raped her more than a decade ago.

In a statement provided to Business Insider, an attorney for Alexander said he would "take a leave from" the real estate sales firm Official Partners "to focus fully on clearing his name."

Alexander's lawyer, Deanna Paul, is also seeking to move the case against him from New York state civil court to federal court.

"Tal is eager for the case to be heard in federal court as soon as possible and rejoin the Official team in short order," Paul said in the statement.

The announcement caps a dizzying fall from the pinnacle of the residential real estate business for both Tal and his brokerage partner and brother Oren Alexander amid sordid allegations.

Tal and Oren spent more than a decade at the brokerage firm Douglas Elliman, establishing themselves as big-name sellers of ultra-pricey homes. Among the notable deals they helped negotiate was the 2019 sale of a four floor penthouse at 220 Central Park South in Manhattan to the hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin for a record $240 million.

In 2022, the pair broke off from Elliman and cofounded Official Partners, a firm that focuses exclusively on the uppermost tier of the residential sales market.

Earlier this month, however, The Real Deal, a real estate-focused publication, reported that two women had filed civil lawsuits separately in New York State civil court in March that accuse Oren and another brother, Alon Alexander, of raping them in 2012. Oren and Alon have denied the allegations.

In the days after the allegations came to light, Oren announced via a post on social media that he would take a "pause" from Official Partners "as I shift my focus towards fighting these baseless civil claims."

Soon after, the company clarified his remarks, stating that he was being removed permanently from the business.

Nicole Oge, a top executive and cofounder of Official Parters, said in a statement that the firm's "values were deeply violated when the disturbing allegations against our former partner Oren Alexander were uncovered."

Oge said that Oren's brokerage licenses had been separated from the company "and the process of removing him from ownership is well underway."

Last week, a woman named Angelica Parker filed a lawsuit in New York state court that accuses Tal of raping her in 2012 in his Manhattan apartment with Alon as Oren watched.

Tal's attorney, in her statement, said the allegation was "false" but said the claim had become a "distraction to" Official and its clients. She also said that the decision to step aside was mutually made by Tal and Official.

"Given the salacious nature of this false allegation and impact on Official, Tal and his partners have decided he will take a leave from the company," Deanna Paul, the attorney, said.

In a statement, Official said, "We have a healthy, cash-flow positive business and the news our firm has been dragged into does a disservice to this team of more than 90 professionals that continues to win and transact at the highest level, day in and day out."

"We are committed to safeguarding and growing the business, and in the coming days, Official will be announcing details about how the company will be reconfigured and fortified for the future," the firm said.

Read the original article on Business Insider