Celebrity Fashion designer Pol’ Atteu assaulted at his own runway show

Violence and Fashion are two things that you don’t usually hear together. Well, today changes that.

Friday the 13th was the first Atlas Walks Fashion Week show hosted by celebrity fashion designer Pol’ Atteu (Pol’ Atteu Haute Couture Beverly Hills) and his husband Patrik Simpson in aid of Make-A-Wish foundation. It was held in St John’s Cathedral, Downtown Los Angeles with the runway show and backstage drama being filmed for their reality show Gown and Out in Beverly Hills (Amazon Prime Video) which focuses on their Beverly Hills boutique and celebrity clientele.

In the middle of the fashion show around 6pm Pol’ Atteu was viciously physically assaulted backstage in the cathedral by a disgruntled ‘talent manager’ and father of a nine-year-old girl who was not chosen to walk the runway for the designer’s new fashion line Ava by Pol’ Atteu – a collaboration with Ava Kolker star of Disney’s ‘Sydney to the Max’. He was apparently angry that his daughter was not selected to walk the runway alongside the 20 or so Disney and Nickelodeon child stars at the event. 

This was a big night for me and my husband, Patrik Simpson. We were launching our brand new casual wear designer t-shirts & jeans collection called Ava by Pol’ Atteu with Ava Kolker, from Sydney to the Max. I was thrilled that we had all of Ava’s friends and fellow TV stars there to model her new fashion line. This man, the father of a child we did not select for the fashion show went crazy and jumped me from behind. He punched me in the face, head and stomach with both his fists and kicked me repeatedly. I was holding SnowWhite and protecting her from him. I thought he was going to kill me. I was terrified and screamed over and over again for him to stop and he just kept beating me until I fell to the floor.

Pol’ Atteu

Both the ‘talent manager’ father and daughter had previously attended castings for the fashion show (which were filmed for Gown and Out in Beverly Hills) where they were asked by security to leave after hanging around after the audition being ‘creepy’. Neither were invited to attend or walk in last night’s runway show.

After man jumped at him from behind, beating and punching his face, arms and stomach with closed fists shouting ‘Faggot’ in front of his own daughter and screaming models, before fleeing the scene (see attached security footage). Pol’ Atteu is currently in Cedar Sinai hospital suffering from a concussion. It is thought that the attack was partly a homophobic hate crime.

This was a brutal and vicious unprovoked attack on my husband, Pol’ Atteu. No one should  ever be put in a place where they feel helpless and powerless. I tried to help him but, a giant church pew was blocking my pathway. As I ran to his rescue I watched in horror as he was punier in the face and head over and over again. This man needs to be arrested and justice needs to be served!

Patrik Simpson (Pol’s Husband)

The fashion show had over 400 attendees and celebrities present including Abby Lee Miller (Dance Moms) who commented ‘This was a horrible vicious attack, they need to arrest that guy as soon as possible. I once had a mom on Dance Moms attack me so I understand what Pol’ is going through.’