Billionaire's Wife Thinks It's OK To Use The N-Word Because She's Friends With Alicia Keys
Say what?!
Instagram Lisa Falcone is the wife of a billionaire former hedge fund manager who insists she isn't a racist even though she uses the n-word. Her reasoning? She isn't a racist because she's friends with Alicia Keys. The whole mess started when she told her personal chef that his black girlfriend was a "chocolate-covered marshmallow" because she spoke like an educated person. The chef, Brian Villanueva, filed a federal lawsuit in Manhattan last week over the incident. He claims that he and his girlfriend — who's also a chef — cooked for a dinner party at the Falcone's Hamptons estate on July 13, 2019. Lisa and her husband Philip hosted a number of guests that night, including Alicia Keys and her husband Swizz Beats. The next morning, Lisa told Villanueva how articulate his girlfriend was. “Your girlfriend speaks very well. She seems educated. I would describe her as a chocolate-covered marshmallow,” the court papers report.
Now, Lisa and Phillip Falcone are refusing to pay Villanueva and his girlfriend for their work that night unless they sign an NDA that forbids them from talking about everything Lisa Falcone said. And there is so much more cringe-worthy stuff that was said.
Read on for all the details. Who is Lisa Falcone?
1. She wouldn't let it go
After Lisa Falcone called Villanueva's girlfriend a "chocolate-covered marshmallow" Villanueva appeared visibly uncomfortable, according to a report from Page Six. Undeterred, Falcone continued and said: “Do you use the word ‘n—-’ at home with your girlfriend? At this point, Villanueva said that she appeared to notice how offended his girlfriend was. Falcone went on to say, "I’m Puerto Rican and grew up in Spanish Harlem so I can speak like that.” Villanueva then asked Falcone to explain her comments. According to the lawsuit, Falcone doubled-down and said that neither Alicia Keys or Swizz Beats are as well-spoken. “I meant she speaks really eloquently. Alicia doesn’t speak that way. She didn’t have an education and was just discovered by Clive Davis when she was fifteen years old. Swizz definitely doesn’t speak that way either,” Lisa allegedly told him.
2. Villanueva then quit
Later the same day, Villanueva took a pizza to Lisa and Philip Falcone on the beach and told them he was quitting. He made it clear he was quitting because of the racist remarks Lisa had made. The court documents report that Lisa asked Villanueva not to quit and pleaded with him to "...talk to my black friends. They will tell you that I am not racist." For the record, Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz were down on the beach with the Falcones as this unfolded. Brian Villanueva claims that the Falcones refused to pay him for his time that night unless he and his girlfriend signed confidentiality agreements that forbade them from discussing what Lisa Falcone said. Villanueva is suing for discrimination and violation of New York labor laws. He claims he's owed $4,230.70 in unpaid wages.
3. Falcone grew up in Spanish Harlem
According to a W Magazine profile of her, Lisa Falcone grew up in Spanish Harlem and was raised by her alcoholic single mother who was on welfare. When she was older, she found out that the woman she thought was her mother was actually her aunt. She never met her real mother.
4. Rags to riches
Lisa Falcone was discovered by a Wilhelmina agent on the street in her late teens and began her modeling career. She met Philip Falcone, a former hockey player from Minnesota at a restaurant in her early 20s. They fell in love, got married, and moved into a studio apartment. The newlyweds slept on an air mattress on the floor. Philip started making a bit of money on Wall Street. That little bit of money turned into a lot of money. And then, Philip made a very well-timed bet against the subprime mortgage market. It was that bet that made the Falcones billionaires.
5. She's a movie producer
Lisa Falcone's IMDB profile reveals that she's produced the films Mother and Child, 127 Hours, Win Win, Mud and Joe's War. Her IMDB profile also reveals a handful of acting roles in the mid to late 90s in movies including Savage Heat (1994), Breast Men (1997) and Baywatch Nights (1995).
6. She's eccentric
Lisa Falcone has a pet pig who plays the piano. She has a bar in her closet. She's been known to hop up on a banquette and shake her moneymaker for anyone who will watch. She's been arrested for a DUI adter crashing her car in the Hamptons. As Dealbreaker puts it, "she dances to the beat of her own drum."
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based writer and editor covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.