CEO's family man image is shattered as top female executive leaks explicit sexts and accuses him of litany of obscene acts: Read every sordid message

By JAMES REINL, US SENIOR REPORTER Published: 17:37, 23 July 2026 | Updated: 17:37, 23 July 2026 Kevin Zeppernick painted himself a devoted family man, and as one of Ohio's hardest working real estate developers. He was well known for spearheading multimillion-dollar projects across Columbus as the CEO of Thrive Companies, shared holiday pictures with his wife and children online and was showered with praise by fellow executives for his 'energy, leadership and vision.' But away from public view, Zeppernick, 51, was allegedly grooming a 36-year-old female subordinate, subjecting her to disturbing texts and sexual advances for years before eventually assaulting her while she was too drunk to consent, according to a lawsuit obtained by the Daily Mail. 'I want to bend you over,' Zeppernick allegedly texted one Saturday afternoon in November 2022, according to the complaint.  Less than two months later, he allegedly invited her for a 'late-night drink' because he was 'solo' and his wife and kids would be 'gone for the night,' according to text messages included in the lawsuit. When his invitation went unanswered, Zeppernick allegedly responded, 'Boo! No love.'  The bombshell suit, filed by the female executive in April 2026, included pages of sexual text messages allegedly sent by Zeppernick between 2022 and 2025.  Princeton graduate Kevin Zeppernick, 51, is accused of grooming a female subordinate for years before allegedly sexually assaulting her Zeppernick, 51, was well known for spearheading multimillion dollar projects across Columbus as the CEO of Thrive Companies and shared holiday pictures with his family online The lawsuit accused Zeppernick of spending years grooming the woman, dangling the prospect of enormous wealth and a slice of the company's lucrative real estate deals while subjecting her to unwanted instances of kissing, groping and sexual contact.  The female executive was 'sexually harassed and retaliated against which unfortunately is part and parcel of Thrive's hedonistic culture,' her lawsuit stated, claiming that corporate culture at Thrive was built on wild parties, rampant drug use and a toxic work environment.  Zeppernick has denied all the allegations in the complaint, claiming the text messages attached to the complaint were 'doctored, manipulated, and/or incomplete,' according to his answer to the complaint. The complainant, a former partner and brand experience executive at Thrive, also accused two other Thrive executives, co-founder and now-CEO Mark Wagenbrenner, 59, and development chief Steve Bollinger, 41, of knowing about the misconduct and failing to act. Wagenbrenner and Bollinger have not responded to the Daily Mail's requests for comment, but in an answer to the complaint denied the allegations, and claimed they acted 'swiftly and decisively' after the company found Zeppernick 'violated company policy.'   Marion Little, the woman's attorney, told the Daily Mail that the 'allegations and the attached exhibits speak for themselves.' The woman, a former college basketball player, claimed in her lawsuit that Zeppernick repeatedly used his power over her career to pressure her into silence and compliance. Your browser does not support iframes. Zeppernick shares a sprawling four-bedroom, $1.5 million brick mansion with his wife, Kenna, 49, and their children Zeppernick has denied all claims of harassment and assault levied against him Among the most lewd alleged texts, some of which are too graphic to publish in full, Zeppernick is accused of writing, 'If you give me some time to learn your body, I promise to [perform a sex act].' In another alleged message included in the complaint, he wrote he was in a 'disappearing edge hot tub' and wanted to 'bend you over'. Zeppernick also allegedly asked the woman if her girlfriends would be 'up for a threesome.' The woman claimed in the court paper that Zeppernick initiated unwanted sexual contact with her on at least four separate occasions over the course of their working relationship together. In one alleged incident, Zeppernick took her back to the Thrive office to sleep off drinks from a work event, where she claimed she passed out and woke up to him assaulting her. 'Due to this incident, [the complainant] stopped drinking altogether for an extended period,' the lawsuit stated. The complaint alleged that executives including Zeppernick and Bollinger mocked the woman's looks and sexuality with crude, explicit remarks made openly in professional settings. Your browser does not support iframes. The woman claimed in the lawsuit that she was told by a coworker that the coworker had been raped by another Thrive employee, information she says she passed along to Zeppernick. Zeppernick allegedly promised to investigate but never followed through, and that after the complainant pushed the issue, he suddenly turned on her leadership and her career, the lawsuit said.  She claimed that her promotion was withheld, meetings she once ran were cut off from her, and her once-glowing performance reviews were replaced with criticism, according to her lawsuit.  She filed a formal discrimination charge in June 2025, and Thrive claimed at the time that it had placed Zeppernick on leave pending review of the allegations, the complaint said. The woman later received an email by mistake proving Zeppernick was still quietly working for the company during his supposed suspension, the lawsuit added. Zeppernick ultimately left the company in July 2025, with Thrive publicly citing only vague 'violations of company policy related to personal conduct' in its announcement.  The lawsuit claimed that Thrive's farewell message to staff heaped praise on Zeppernick despite the serious allegations the company already knew about. 'His energy, leadership, and vision helped shape who we are today, and we are sincerely grateful for his many contributions. He will be missed,' the message allegedly read. The lawsuit claimed Wagenbrenner told others around the office that the complainant was personally responsible for getting Zeppernick fired, fueling further hostility toward her at work. She claimed that she then received an anonymous, threatening note at her desk that August warning her to watch her back, which she immediately reported to management. Thrive's development chief Steve Bollinger, 41, allegedly knew about the allegations against Zeppernick failed to act, according to the lawsuit  Zeppernick has spearheaded several multimillion-dollar redevelopment projects across Columbus Days later, Thrive placed the woman herself on leave. By September 2025, Thrive had fired her for good, bringing an end to her career there, her lawsuit claimed. While the lawsuit claimed to tell 'an all too familiar story of a male executive grooming his female subordinate to sexual abuse with the employer and supervisor ratifying the misconduct,' separate answers and counterclaims filed by Zeppernick, Wagenbrenner, Bollinger and Thrive alleged a different narrative.  In June, Zeppernick filed a counterclaim for frivolous conduct in filing civil claims, and in his answer to the complaint denied every harassment, grooming and assault allegation, insisting the attached text messages were 'doctored' and that her claims were 'based on false allegations and false, fabricated or incomplete evidence.' Thrive counterclaimed in June for a declaratory judgement in order to claw back her company shares of Thrive, and for breach of contract. According to the counterclaim, Wagenbrenner and Bollinger acted 'swiftly and decisively' when they learned of the allegations against Zeppernick, claiming that the pair 'immediately' placed him on administrative leave in order to launch an internal probe. The multimillion-dollar property development company then claimed its own investigation found that Zeppernick and the woman had a consensual romantic relationship, undercutting her claims of harassment. 'After a thorough, independent investigation last summer, certain individuals referenced in the complaint were terminated from their positions at our company,' the company said in its June answer.  The company insisted, however, that 'the defendants vehemently deny the allegations set forth in the complaint,' and vowed to fight the case fully in court.  Thrive's co-founder and now-CEO Mark Wagenbrenner, 59, allegedly told others around the office that the complainant was responsible for getting Zeppernick fired. Wagenbrenner denied the allegations in his answer to the complaint Thrive is a multimillion-dollar property developers with more than 150 staff based in Columbus, Ohio  Thrive also claimed in its answer that concerns about the woman's leadership, judgment and professionalism had actually been raised by colleagues for several years beforehand.   The company's June filing detailed complaints that the woman had been rude in meetings, failed to set clear priorities for her team and had overseen a department that was underperforming. Thrive also claimed in the filing that the woman was allegedly taking part in a separate romantic relationship with a separate employee, her subordinate, in clear violation of company policy.  The company alleged that the investigation’s findings of her violation of company policy is why she was terminated, not as she claimed in her complaint.  Outside of court filings, Wagenbrenner and Bollinger have not publicly addressed the lawsuit or claims levied against them, and neither responded to the Daily Mail's request for comment.   None of the allegations from either side have yet been tested in court, with a trial not expected until April of 2027. The woman's lawsuit seeks more than $25,000 in damages over claims of discrimination, harassment and retaliation, plus separate assault and battery claims against Zeppernick himself. Since filing the lawsuit, the woman has separately been seriously injured while cycling in a hit-and-run on June 9, and left with critical injuries.  Her sister told the Daily Mail that she has not spoken since the accident, but that her family and doctors are hopeful that with rehabilitation therapy she will recover. 'She is my best friend, and she's strong,' said the sister, who declined to comment on the lawsuit. 'She's a fighter, and she has been resilient. And she's gotten extremely far, and we are just thankful for all the support and the love that everyone has shown for her.' An online fundraiser has collected more than $58,000 to assist in her recovery.