'I am not the sleaze king': American Apparel's former boss ousted after sexual harassment claims is plotting to take back company from a 'war room' in his ten-bed LA mansion... despite insisting he's broke

  • Dov Charney was fired from American Apparel in December 2014
  • The LA-based company's board cited allegations of sexual harassment, misuse of company funds and racist comments as reasons for ousting
  • Charney claims accusations that led to his firing 'are completely false' 
  • New CEO Paula Schneider said Charney will never return to the company 

Former American Apparel CEO Dov Charney has broken his silence on being at war with the company he built where he accused of sexual misconduct and mismanagement.

Since being ousted in December, Charney, 46, has claimed he's broke, even though he still lives in a ten-bedroom mansion in Los Angeles where he says he plans to return to power. 

'I want everyone to know I'm not "The Sleaze King",' Charney told ABC News's 20/20. '"The Sleaze King" is another guy.'

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Dov Charney has spoken out for the first time since being ousted from American Apparel in December 2014, saying he wants to reclaim the company he founded

Dov Charney has spoken out for the first time since being ousted from American Apparel in December 2014, saying he wants to reclaim the company he founded

Charney has dubbed his master bedroom suite his 'war room' where he has covered the walls and mirrors with a collage of notes and newspaper clippings. 

'I've had a minute being on the outside to re-strategize how I want to take the company, you know, control the company again. And I intend to,' the American Apparel founder told ABC.

He has become infamous for his limit-pushing advertisements in which he's been criticized for using young models in provocative ads. Charney claims the models just look younger than they truly are.

'I'm sure we pushed the envelope too far a couple times,' he said. 'That's why you make the next ad right away.' 

The Los Angeles-based company's board voted to oust Mr Charney as CEO in June, citing allegations of a long list of offenses, including sexual harassment, misuse of company funds and racist comments.

American Apparel said in December that it had terminated his position 'for cause' after an internal investigation.

American Apparel, which Charney founded in 1989, manufactures clothes and sells them in 245 of its own retail stores in 20 countries and has about 10,000 employees.

Charney live in a ten-bedroom mansion in Los Angeles, but claims he's been broke since being ousted from his company

Charney live in a ten-bedroom mansion in Los Angeles, but claims he's been broke since being ousted from his company

Since then, the Montreal-born Charney has been the subject of lawsuits that allege he had inappropriate sexual conduct with female employees. He has said he had consensual sexual relationships with workers.

In 2011, a former employee accused Charney of keeping her as a teenage sex slave, fearing she could lose her job otherwise. 

She also sued American Apparel and its directors for failing to stop him from acting as a 'sexual predator.'

In 2012, Charney once again came under fire when Michael Bumblis, a former store manager in Malibu, California, accused the CEO of rubbing dirt in his face and choking him.

Charney also allegedly called the man 'a wannabe Jew' and used a derogatory term for homosexuals. Bumblis was later fired from his job.  

Some employees, however, believe that Charney is a hero within the company. Garment workers have held rallies claiming that he could save the company. 

Since the company was founded it made a name for itself by manufacturing clothing within the United States and paying workers about minimum wage.

Charney said a 'good worker can make $13, $14 bucks and hour' while at American Apparel. 

Inside his master bedroom suite, Charney has created a 'war room', where he has covered the walls with notes and newspaper clippings as a way to strategize his method of taking back American Apparel

Inside his master bedroom suite, Charney has created a 'war room', where he has covered the walls with notes and newspaper clippings as a way to strategize his method of taking back American Apparel

But as profits began to rise at the company, allegations that Charney created a sexually charged and hostile work environment were brought to the table. 

'I've never engaged in any activities that could be characterized as sexual harassment,' he said. 

Charney admits that he slept with employees but claims that everything was consensual. 

'All those accusations against me are crap,' he said. 'There's allegations... we resolved them. None of it - none of these allegations - were ever proven.'

He said that he'd been sued 'maybe a dozen, maybe less' times for sexual harassment, and that some of the lawsuits were settled while others were dropped. 

Charney has said that the accusations that led to his firing in December 2014 'are completely false' and that his termination was 'ridiculous'. 

'I had been working 365 for 10 years solid, OK? Built a massive brand that captured the imagination of the world,' he told ABC. 'Then to treat me like that, to throw me on the street... shame on them, shame on them, that's my message to them.' 

ABC was able to speak to an American Apparel employee only named as 'Sam', who told them that Charney was 'cruel and vindictive'. 

Charney was fired after allegations emerged over his course as CEO, including sexual harassment, misuse of company funds and racist comments

Charney was fired after allegations emerged over his course as CEO, including sexual harassment, misuse of company funds and racist comments

'When you work at American Apparel closely with Dov, you're pretty much scared all the time,' she said. 'He will yell at you, call you names, humiliate you until you feel down, broken.'

Though Sam's statements echoed human resources reports from other employees, Charney said that it was just 'one person's point of view'. 

'I'm not going to get along with everybody. This is a tough environment,' he said, adding that he pushes his 'white collar workers harder'. 

'I was combative, I was a pushy boss. I was a hammer on my white collar staff, that's for sure,' he said. 

After Charney's ousting, Paula Schneider took over as CEO for American Apparel with goals to restore profitability within the company, save jobs and distance the company from its founder. 

Despite Charney's spirited plan to return to the company, Schneider said he will never be brought back. 

'He is not allowed to be an employee, or an officer or CEO of the company. Period. There's no option there,' she said.  

The new CEO of American Apparel, Paula Schneider, said that Charney will never be reinstated with the company as an employee, officer or CEO

The new CEO of American Apparel, Paula Schneider, said that Charney will never be reinstated with the company as an employee, officer or CEO

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