Jonathan Kaye, a managing director at Moelis & Co. who heads the business services franchise, is under scrutiny after assaulting a woman at a Brooklyn Pride event in Park Slope. A video circulating on social media platform X shows Mr Kaye hitting the woman’s face, causing her to collapse on the ground in front of a crowd.
So why did your managing director Jonathan Kaye punch a black woman at Brooklyn Pride yesterday? https://t.co/XhGDv68zRR pic.twitter.com/2n8bK8JrEo
— sami (@hellosami) June 9, 2024
The video does not show the events leading up to the altercation but captures Mr. Kaye walking away from the scene with a distressed demeanor and stains on his jacket, likely from a liquid thrown at him. Amid the commotion, Mr. Kaye was heard saying, “She f****ng threw s**t at me,” while onlookers called him an “a**hole” and a “horrible person.” According to the video, the woman sustained a broken nose, and her friend’s arm was injured during the incident.
In response to the viral video, Moelis & Co. issued a statement to Bloomberg, acknowledging the seriousness of the situation. “We have become aware that one of our employees was involved in a serious incident in Brooklyn on June 8,” the company stated. “We take this matter very seriously and are conducting an investigation.”
Jonathan Kaye, who has been with Moelis & Co. since 2013, previously served as managing director of the Global Mergers & Acquisitions Group at Citibank.
This incident follows another high-profile case in New York involving Skiboky Stora, who faced hate crime charges for alleged assaults, stalking, and harassment based on race, religion, and gender. His case gained national attention after a victim shared a video of her assault on social media. Stora allegedly elbowed the victim, causing bruising and swelling, and was involved in other incidents, including harassment of a young Jewish couple. He was arrested in March, arraigned in New York, and permitted to represent himself in court. Stora claimed the charges were retaliation for a lawsuit against NYC Mayor Eric Adams and was scheduled to return to court in August.
