BEVERLY HILLS—A jury found Beverly Hills real estate investor George Saadian guilty of infecting his wife with genital herpes he contracted from extramarital affairs on Friday, November 5, in Los Angeles Superior Court. The ruling awards his wife, Kathrin Saadian, $2.49 million in compensatory and punitive damages.
According to court documents, Kathrin Saadian alleged that her husband contracted the disease from women he met on online sex and escort websites, which he started registering for in 2006.
The couple, who had been married for 16 years, separated in August 2007, when George Saadian left the couple’s home and declared he wanted a divorce. He returned a few weeks later reportedly with the intention to repair the marriage, but Mrs. Saadian alleges that this was only a ploy to convince her to relinquish millions of dollars in real estate interest. It was during the supposed reconciliation period that Mrs. Saadian says her husband infected her with the disease. She claims that her husband was her first and only sexual partner, citing her religious and socially conservative nature. Even though George Saadian declared that he did not know he was infected with the disease, the jury found him guilty of sexual battery, fraud, concealment, negligence and infliction of emotional distress after four and a half hours of deliberation.
Kathrin Saadian’s attorney, Shaun M. Murphy, expressed satisfaction with the jury’s verdict in a press release issued by his law firm, Slovak, Baron & Empey LLP. “We are very pleased that the jury found in favor of Mrs. Saadian. It also shows that the jury fully understood the stigma that Mrs. Saadian will have to live with for the rest of her life solely as a result of her husband’s actions.”
