Ilan Ben Zion is an AFP reporter and a former news editor at The Times of Israel.
A 2012 billboard on the Ayalon Highway featuring model Bar Refaeli. (Gili Yaari/Flash90)
Supermodel Bar Refaeli showed her “ugly side” in dealings with Suny Electronics, CEO Ilan Ben Dov alleged in testimony at the Tel Aviv District Court on Thursday.
Her “vicious behavior” caused the company indescribable damage, Ben Dov claimed.
Ben Dov said that Refaeli’s parents demanded he cough up an additional $10,000 or $20,000 during a photo shoot for a Suny ad campaign. He further said that she behaved as though she was owed everything and the company deserved nothing.
“We knew by the first day that the campaign would fail,” he said.
Bar Refaeli's father (center) as she hides behind a book, during a visit to the Kotel in 2007. (photo credit: Michal Fattal/Flash90)
Refaeli had sued Suny for NIS 4.4 million for allegedly using her character and pictures for purposes not agreed to in the contract. According to Refaeli, Suny’s use of her image without consent soiled her reputation. During court proceedings at the beginning of March, Refaeli called Suny executives “cheats and crooks.”
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Suny denied any breach of contract occurred, and countersued Refaeli for NIS 2 million for breach of contract, and harming the ad campaign and the company.
Refaeli originally signed a four-month, $50,000 contract with Suny, an importer of Samsung phones.
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