Lily Safra’s family is forging ahead with an effort to prevent an unauthorized biography, “Gilded Lily,” from being sold in their native Brazil.
Even though the book, by New York Post reporter Isabel Vincent, sold only a few copies in Brazil before it was pulled from shelves, the publisher, HarperCollins (a subsidiary of News Corp., as is The Post), received court papers last week.
The plaintiff, Leonardo Watkins, is the nephew of the glamorous widow, who has inherited fortunes from her last two husbands. Watkins claims the book defames his father, who is now deceased.
“The book elaborates a plot to make believe Artigas Watkins — the plaintiff’s father [and Safra’s brother] — is the person responsible for the death of Alfredo Monteverde, the second husband of Lily Safra,” the complaint states.
Authorities ruled that the wealthy Monteverde committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest. According to the book, the evidence concerning the Monteverde shooting is murky. For example, authorities reported two bullets were fired at the scene, but there was only one bullet hole in the body.
The circumstances surrounding the fiery 1999 death of Safra’s last husband, banker Edmond Safra, were also mysterious. A male nurse was convicted of arson for starting the fire that killed Edmond, in a case that attracted widespread media attention and speculation.
“I worked on this book for four years and I am disappointed that it may never be sold in Brazil,” Vincent said.
South America’s biggest country — spurred by pop stars who like to control their publicity — is about to make all unauthorized biographies illegal.
Watkins wants the court to ban Vincent’s book permanently in Brazil, and HarperCollins was given 15 days to respond.