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Burlesque Twins Sue Box Owner Simon Hammerstein
By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 12, 2009
Modified Feb 12, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 12, 2009
Modified Feb 12, 2009
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Simon Hammerstein, proprietor of decadent downtown burlesque theater The Box, has been hit with a lawsuit filed by two former employees who accuse him of sexual harassment. You may recall this sordid story; twin sisters from Portland, "famous" for their onstage sex toy routine called "Twincest," quit The Box over the summer amidst allegations that Hammerstein was "forcing" them to perform sexual favors for him, and generally treating The Box as his personal, drug-fueled harem. In a subsequent NY Mag profile called "The Impresario of Smut," Hammerstein denied the accusations, but a number of people associated with The Box seemed to support the twins' debauched depiction of the place. Their lawyer tells the Post, "He felt free to treat them as his porcelain toys to play with at will." But until they can get some payback from the Impresario, they'll be performing their act around Portland, and selling their book, The Porcelain Twinz, Our Life in the Sex Industry, through their website, where you can also purchase their DVD!
Tagged
burlesque
harassment
lawsuit
nyc
porcelain
simon hammerstein
the box
twins
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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