Story Archive February 7, 2003 (Page 5 of 6)

MODEL WARS: WOMEN TRIES POACHING STARS
By JARED PAUL STERN, FWD

The Women agency is continuing its aggressive campaign to recoup losses following the defection of supermodel troika Stella Tennant, Eva Herzigova and Kate Moss (who's now officially part of the IMG stable).
As we reported last week, Women recently stole Sharon (Genish), a stunning Israeli Versace model and rising star, from the smaller Clear agency.

This week they made a play for ID Models' top girl, Brazilian bombshell Ana Hickmann, star of ads for the likes of La Perla and Victoria's Secret.

Sources say Women offered Hickmann a $200,000 signing bonus and a deeply discounted commission to defect.

"That's 720,000 reales in Brazilian money," notes our insider. "You can buy 10 apartments with that in Sao Paulo. It's pretty hard to say no."

Apparently Hickmann isn't eager to ditch the agency that made her famous, but her husband has decided it's too sweet to pass up. Earlier this week it looked like a done deal, but now Hickmann is on the fence.

"It's a very difficult decision to make," Hickmann tells us. "Paolo [Zampolli] was my mentor and he is like a brother to me. Unfortunately, there are communication differences between him and my husband involving my career. And I've also decided to do different things with my life."

"Ana is a very sweet girl and we are on great terms," Zampolli says. "There are no hard feelings either way."

And Women has apparently selected its next target: New York Model Management star Leticia Birkheuer, who walked in the Victoria's Secret show.

"Women approached her and offered her a deal," says New York's Marion Smith. "But she told them she wasn't interested. It's a sad state of affairs that they're going after other agencies' girls like this."

"They approached us, like a lot of girls have," insists Women boss Paul Rowland. "But we told them, 'If you have a contract, we have to wait until it's up.' We'd love to represent them, they're both beautiful girls. But that's a conflict of interest."

Rowland denies that the agency is offering any signing bonuses or commission discounts. "What we offer is good management service, period. And anyway, Ana can make $200,000 in a week, she wouldn't be swayed by that."

Meanwhile, it's been a rough week for Zampolli, to say the least; his close friend and ID's former head of scouting, the well-liked Fabio Lenzi, was shot and killed by a trio of robbers while working in Cape Town, South Africa for Italian Vogue.

The bandits blasted the unfortunate Lenzi in the chest twice as he sat in a car with his fiance, American model Capri Thomas, who was unharmed.

The murderers made off with Lenzi's rental car, cash, computer and cell phone, as well as Thomas' jewelry.

Lenzi, who was with ID for three years, discovered South African Guess model Minki van der Westhuizen, among others.

"I want to remember Fabio's loyal friendship, his talent, his precious presence and cooperation and his love for our business," Zampolli said in response to the news. "An unbelievable casualty took away one of us without a reason and we mourn his premature death."

Zampolli is holding a memorial service for Lenzi at St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church on Mulberry Street on Feb. 17.

NAOMI'S AIDE IS A DRUGS DEALER
From Richard Wallace, US Editor, THE MIRROR

Model Naomi Campbell's new business partner is a convicted drug pusher who sold the notorious date rape drug GHB on the internet.

Party girl Claudine Dematos, 25, spent six months in jail awaiting trial after her arrest before being released on £1million bail.

She now faces up to six years' jail after admitting plotting to distribute a controlled substance online. A spokesman for Naomi said: "This has come as a complete shock to her. She is urgently considering what steps to take next."

Naomi, 32 - who has a history of drug abuse - set up her lifestyle and event-planning firm NC Connect in September with PR Dematos at her side.

Seven months earlier Dematos, who also claims to promote rap badboy P Diddy, admitted being part of a group which made more than £300,000 selling GHB online in just three months.

Lawyer James Miskiewicz, who prosecuted at Central Islip court in New York State, said: "Dematos built the website used to sell GHB, making it easily accessible.

"She was instrumental in the business and criminally responsible for the drug being distributed to customers."

Rodney Gates and Scott Ansaldi were also convicted of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance as well as money- laundering. Dematos gave evidence against them.

Her boyfriend John Goetz, 30, was charged but died of a drug overdose before his trial.

Dematos and Goetz were arrested in a swoop on the PR girl's Manhattan apartment in August, 2000, by police and drug agents. Investigators found an estimated seven million doses of GHB on the premises, ready to be sold.

The clear liquid was mixed with sugar and a soft drink powder, then bottled and sold under the names Verve, Dream On and Pina Colada.

GHB - known to clubbers as "liquid ecstasy" - was declared unsafe in 1990 and made a Class A drug in 2000 after it was used in a series of date rapes.

Naomi set up NC Connect with Dematos and a friend. Their website boasts that they will "put important people, exotic places and magnificent things together".

The model sued the Mirror in February 2001 after we published a story that said she was attending Narcotics Anonymous and had lied about her drug use in interviews.

She won a derisory £3,500 damages despite being branded a liar by a High Court judge. The Appeal Court toppled the ruling in October leaving Naomi with a total costs bill of £750,000.

She is currently petitioning the House of Lords to see whether they will consider the case.