Transgender Woman Alleges High-Profile Job Offer Ended in Mistreatment
A transgender woman whose life briefly intersected with Italy’s fashion elite is speaking out about her journey from survival to heartbreak after a high-profile job opportunity ended in dismissal and despair.
Marayah Osumanu, a Ghanaian woman in Italy, first captured public attention during a 2022 episode of The Ferragnez, the reality series starring fashion influencer Chiara Ferragni. In an emotional televised moment, Ferragni offered her a job on the spot, providing what seemed like the first real opportunity for stability after a difficult childhood.
She recounted her story in a recent interview with Grazia Sambruna for MowMag. She said her early life was shaped by discrimination and conflict at home, culminating in what she described as a devastating betrayal: being tricked into returning to Ghana, where she was confined to a so-called “corrective” boarding school.
The job Ferragni offered Marayah was as a receptionist that paid €1,300 a month, which felt like the start of a new chapter. She dreamed of breaking into the fashion world and building a life she had never thought possible.
But the dream soured. She alleges that she was told to clean tables in the cafeteria and the dirty toilets. A brief highlight came when she was asked to pose for Diesel, a moment she thought might open doors. Instead, she said, tensions worsened and the opportunity didn’t come to pass.
Similar allegations against Ferragni first came to light from the reporting of Louis Pisano, an American journalist in Europe.
In November 2024, Marayah was laid off along with five others after the Pandorogate scandal. Italy enacted the Ferragni Law after the scandal to regulate social media influencers. Ferragni is expected in court in September to answer for charges related to Ferragni’s alleged profiting from charitable donations.
Marayah says she has not heard from Ferragni since her dismissal, despite the very public nature of their initial meeting.
Since losing her job, Marayah has struggled to find other work. The rejection and instability have taken a profound toll on her mental health, she said, leading to deep depression, isolation, and even a suicide attempt.
Ferragni’s company, Fenice Srl, issued a statement which said, “Regarding the recent statement made by Ms. Marayah Osumanu, Fenice Srl categorically denies the entire reconstruction of the incident and warns anyone against using it for any purpose.
Chiara Ferragni also informs that she has already, for some time, instructed her lawyers to take action against Ms. Marayah Osumanu for the crimes of defamation and threats and for the clearly illegal behavior she has committed.”
