Photo: Getty Images
Talk about a YIKES-worthy moment!
By Bernadette Giacomazzo — Written on Aug 23, 2019
It's a hard-knock life out here for these models today! This model is suing Chinese billionaire Chinh Chu for an injury she sustained while ziplining on his estate. Who is Simona Andrejic, and does her lawsuit against Chu have any merit?
Let's look at what we know about this uncomfortable situation.
1. She's a Calvin Klein model.
According to Pop Culture, Simona Andrejic is perhaps best known for her work with Calvin Klein. She's also walked the catwalk for both Gucci & Dolce and Gabbana, and was scheduled to appear in New York Fashion Week at other "high-end" designer shows.
2. The details of Simona Andrejic's accident are horrifying.
"Serbia-born model Simona Andrejic took a ride on Chu’s garden zip line, and smashed into a tree at high speed. She managed to cling to a wooden platform 50 feet up in the air. Andrejic was stuck there in agonizing pain for two hours until emergency services rescued her, according to a witness. She suffered multiple pelvic fractures and needed stitches in her arm. She was taken to a local hospital before being helicoptered to Yale New Haven Hospital," reports The New York Post, who add that this accident took place on Chu's Westchester County, NY, estate.
3. Chinh Chu is literally a billionaire.
According to his bio on the CC Capital website, Chinh Chu is the founder of CF Corp. ($1.2 billion), the largest U.S. SPAC raised at such time, and the founder of Collier Creek ($475 million), a consumer products SPAC raised in October 2018 with Roger Deromedi and Jason Giordano. Prior to all that, he was the Senior Managing Director at The Blackstone Group, where he served for more than 25 years.
4. He initially offered Simona Andrejic a "settlement" of sorts.
"Chu has reportedly offered Andrejic a settlement of a few thousand dollars a month for a year. Sources told Page Six the sum is "pocket change for Chu." When Andrejic didn't accept the settlement, one of Chu's aides reportedly threatened to cut off his payments for her medical care," reports Business Insider.
5. Simona Andrejic refused, and she's hired an attorney to defend her case.
According to Fox News, Simona Andrejic's attorney says that the model cannot work as a result of her injuries. She also racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills. For these reasons, she turned down Chinh Chu's settlement offer, and is suing him for these damages and more. Andrejic's attorney also says that this is a fair compensation under the law.
6. Neither party is commenting on the case.
"As Andrejic recovered from the brutal injuries, Chu allegedly promised he would 'take care of things' for her, offering to let her use his Rolls Royce to get to the doctor, paying her medical bills and putting her up in a hotel. Andrejic voluntarily moved out of the hotel but has not been able to return to her walk-up in New York City because she is in a wheelchair. Chu, a divorced father of two who is now said to be dating a Russian model, his attorney and his publicist have all declined to comment on the lawsuit," reports The Daily Mail.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in People, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and more. She is also the author of The Uprising series. For more information about Bernadette Giacomazzo, click here.