at 1:05 on November 15, 2006, EST.


British model Naomi Campbell. (AP File/Keystone, Martial Trezzini)

NEW YORK (CP) - Supermodel Naomi Campbell, who has been accused of hitting several of her employees, was sued by a former maid who says the British catwalker viciously assaulted her while calling her a dumb Romanian.

Gaby Gibson filed the lawsuit Tuesday, on the eve of Campbell's scheduled Manhattan Criminal Court appearance on charges of hitting another employee. Gibson's court papers say Campbell, far from being a supermodel, is a "violent super-bigot."

Campbell, 35, "subjected Gibson to repeated discriminatory assaults based on her national origin" by saying, "You are not in the Third World any more, stupid," and "Romanians are not usually as dumb as you," Gibson's court papers say.

The lawsuit says other remarks Campbell made to Gibson, who speaks with a foreign accent, included, "When will you learn English?" and "Are all the women in Romania as pathetic as you?"

Campbell made headlines in Canada several years ago when she pleaded guilty to assaulting an assistant while working on a film in Toronto. The model expressed remorse for the incident and, in a deal with prosecutors in 2000, was released without punishment or a criminal record.

Gibson, who worked for Campbell from November 2005 through January 2006, says the model hit her on Jan. 17, called her names and threatened to have her arrested for theft after being unable to find a pair of jeans.

"As Gibson was bent over searching the closet for the Stella McCartney jeans, Campbell either kicked or punched the back of Gibson's head during the assault while yelling discriminatory comments at Gibson," the court papers say.

The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, was Gibson's second against Campbell. In June, Gibson accused the supermodel of employment discrimination, civil assault and civil battery.

Gibson's lawyer, Lambros Lambrou, said the second lawsuit was needed to add other defendants and allegations. The new defendants include four companies owned by Campbell and her former publicist, Amanda Silverman.

Silverman "knowingly and intentionally disseminated false and defamatory statements against Gibson worldwide" and hurt her reputation, court papers say.

Lambrou also said Campbell has not taken her anger issues seriously. He said she has been seen wearing a T-shirt that says "Naomi hit me" on the front and "I love it" on the back, even as criminal assault charges are pending against her.

Campbell's lawyer, David Breitbart, said Gibson's first lawsuit was automatically dismissed because Lambrou failed to file papers within the legal time limit.

He denied Gibson's claims and said he would reply at the proper time in appropriate fashion. He also said he believed Campbell's employees were obliged by contract to take complaints against the model to arbitration and keep their interactions confidential.

Silverman, the publicist, said she had no comment on the lawsuit.

Campbell's Wednesday court date on an assault charge stems from a similar incident: She was unable to find a pair of jeans and blamed the maid.

In that incident, Campbell was accused of hitting Ana Scolavino in the back of the head with a cellphone in the model's Manhattan apartment after saying she stole the missing jeans.

Scolavino was treated for a head injury after the incident.

Breitbart has said he was considering a plea offer from the Manhattan district attorney's office in that case. He would not say what the offer was.

Campbell, who is from London, faces up to seven years in prison and deportation if convicted after a trial on that charge.


©The Canadian Press, 2006

Does anyone hit her back?

damn, she looks like she needs some lipgloss badly in that picture.

evenstar3 said:

She needs some Carmex!

CinisterCee said:

Yeah really. But one day pow!!! right in the kisser!

CinisterCee said:

thats what i was thinkin'-beat her ass and sue later

she seems kinda scary tho. shes thugged out beating her staff like they were hustle & flow cast.

karmatornado said:

they look like prunes!

Note to self : If ever find self working for Naomi Campbell, don't misplace jeans.

naomi just wants to be loved.

if anyone ever hits back and breaks her supermodel nose she'll be out of a job. what the HECK is she thinking?

XxAxX said:

it's a cry for attention. does anyone ever think to hug her?

thats awesome.

luv4u said:

Naomi doesn't like Romanians.

Somebody needs to lock her ass in a cage

CinisterCee said:

Naomi doesn't hire people who hit back, she knows better. She's a classic bully - all rough & tough with women weaker than she is. Let her pull this sh!t on a sista from the hood and see what happens.

I can't wait for the day this c--- gets hers.

Anx said:

..or a line of cocaine.


M

MIGUELGOMEZ said:

i think they have wilderness preserves for this kind of thing, too.

The saga continues.....

No plea bargain as supermodel Naomi Campbell back in New York court
at 13:09 on November 15, 2006, EST.
By SAMUEL MAULL

NEW YORK (AP) - Supermodel Naomi Campbell returned to court Wednesday as her lawyer and a Manhattan prosecutor tried unsuccessfully to cut a deal on charges she threw a cell phone at her maid over a pair of missing jeans.

"We're still in the process of working out a possible disposition," assistant district attorney Shanda Strain said at a short hearing, where Campbell stood by mutely. The British model is due back in court on Jan. 16.

Campbell, 35, was accused of hitting Ana Scolavino in the back of the head with a cell phone in the model's Manhattan apartment. Scolavino was treated for a head injury after the incident.

Campbell's lawyer, David Breitbart, said he was considering a plea offer from the Manhattan district attorney's office but declined to provide details. Campbell, who did not speak with reporters after the hearing, showed up for court in a form-fitting dark gray dress and a black cloth jacket, with high-heeled black suede pumps.

Breitbart told reporters that Campbell hoped to reach an agreement that would only require community service. The supermodel could face up to seven years in prison and deportation if convicted on the assault charge.

The defence attorney also said he did not want Campbell in a situation like '80s musical icon Boy George, who was followed by reporters when he did community service for the Sanitation Department earlier this year. He pleaded guilty in March to falsely reporting a burglary at his lower Manhattan apartment.

On Tuesday, Campbell was sued by another former maid who says the model viciously assaulted her while calling her a dumb Romanian. The lawsuit by Gaby Gibson calls Campbell a "violent super-bigot."

Gibson says Campbell called her names and threatened to charge her with theft after being unable to find a pair of jeans designed by Stella McCartney.

"I'm so frustrated that a lawyer would use terms like that," Breitbart said about the bigot remark. "I thought we learned in law school not to call people names."

In the latest legal woes for Campbell, Gibson's lawsuit says "Campbell either kicked or punched the back of Gibson's head . . . while yelling discriminatory comments" as the maid searched the closet for the model's jeans.

Gibson worked for Campbell from November 2005 through January 2006.


©The Canadian Press, 2006

She's only 35?