Celebrity News

‘HOUSEWIFE KELLY BENSIMON STOLE MY OWL’

ALLEGEDLY beating up her boyfriend isn’t “Real Housewives of New York City” star Kelly Bensimon‘s only legal trouble.

The leggy former model, 40, who was recently accused of giving her decade-younger lover a black eye, has been sued for allegedly lifting an idea for a jewelry line from a former Elle Accessories colleague.

Celeste Greenberg, who worked at the magazine when Bensimon was editor-in-chief, went on to found accessories line Tuleste Market. According to sources familiar with the matter, while at Elle Accessories, Greenberg had sourced a vintage owl pendant and given it to Bensimon to wear for photo shoots and media appearances. Greenberg allegedly went to Bensimon and struck up a verbal agreement in which the duo would design and manufacture a replica of the owl and split the profits.

But the lawsuit claims that Bensimon instead cut Greenberg out and went ahead and manufactured the pendant on her own. Bensimon currently sells the owl for $325 under her own jewelry line.

“Kelly has been hawking the owl on her Bravo show, on the talk-show circuit, and in a bunch of magazines,” says our source.

Greenberg refused to comment, other than to say that the suit is pending and that her lawyers are in touch with Bensimon’s.

A rep for Bensimon told Page Six: “This girl used to work at Elle Accessories with Kelly. Kelly went out of her way to book her for freelance gigs. They went their separate ways. Now she’s coming after her because she needs money and Kelly’s name is in the press. There’s no validity to this. They never had an agreement about anything.”

On March 31, Bensimon entered a not-guilty plea on a misdemeanor charge for allegedly battering boyfriend Nick Stefanov.

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