Leftist billionaire George Soros is making headlines once again, this time as the subject of a lawsuit filed by his ex-girlfriend charging fraud and assault. The suit alleges that Soros twice promised to purchase an apartment for Brazilian soap star Adriana Ferreyr, and twice reneged. The first apartment was worth $1.9 million, and the second $4.3 million.
Fox News reports:
The drama will be staged in Manhattan Supreme Court, where 28-year-old Adriana Ferreyr on Wednesday filed a blockbuster $50 million suit charging, among other things, that the frisky octogenarian slapped her around while they were in bed discussing his real estate betrayal.
Soros and Ferreyr had been dating since 2006, during which time they took a number of romantic excursions around the globe.
Ferreyr says she found the first of the two apartments, which she called her “dream home,” in uptown Manhattan, just two blocks from where Soros resides. She says that Soros agreed to purchase the apartment for her on January 1, 2010, three years into their relationship. The couple broke up two months later, however, but reconciled soon after and spent the night together, on which occasion Soros told Ferreyr that he had given the apartment to another woman. This conversation took place just days before the contract for the apartment was signed.
The couple then got into an argument, which allegedly turned violent. The lawsuit claims, “While still in bed, Soros slapped Ferreyr across the face and proceeded to put his hands around her neck in an attempt to choke her.” It then accuses him of attempting to hit her with a lamp, from which she narrowly escaped. The lamp allegedly hit the floor, shattered, and cut Ferreyr’s foot, which required three stitches.
Soros asserts that he neither threw the lamp nor attempted to choke her. Police reports note that officers were called to the apartment by Ferreyr.
Eventually, however, the couple reunited, and while vacationing in St. Barts, Soros promised to buy the actress another apartment. He later reneged on that promise as well.
Soros and Ferreyr had been dating since 2006, during which time they took a number of romantic excursions around the globe.
Ferreyr is now suing for a number of damages, including fraud, emotional distress, battery, and assault.
A friend of Soros’ told the New York Post, “This is about a lot of money and an apartment.”
Soros’ lawyer, William Zabel, asserts that the lawsuit is “frivolous and entirely without merit.” He continues, “Mr. Soros did have an on-again, off-again and non-exclusive relationship with Ms. Ferreyr. The complaint is riddled with false charges and is obviously an attempt to extract money from my client, who is a very wealthy man.”
According to Zabel, the evidence is in Soros’ favor. “The police investigated the … incident referred to and concluded that no assault occurred. … George Soros did not slap, choke, or throw a lamp at her.”
Ferreyr contends that though she is hurt by the breakup, as it was an abrupt end to a “serious and meaningful relationship,” she is even more heartbroken by the fact that Soros would “taunt and embarrass her by giving the first apartment to another woman.”
Ferreyr’s attorney, Robert Hantman, said it was unfortunate that his client “had to resort to the courthouse, as it should have been resolved as a private matter. It will be up to the court to decide.”
Soros was recently in the news for returning approximately $1 billion of his $26 billion Quantum hedge fund to his outside investors, thus allowing the fund to be managed by only himself and his family. Anallysts say the decision was likely made so that Soros may avoid increased regulation under the Frank-Dodd financial overhaul bill.
