Donald Trump’s modeling agency, Trump Model Management, is being sued by rival firm New York Model Management for allegedly soliciting its stable of babes to defect to the Donald.
The suit filed Thursday by New York Models accuses a former booking agent, Lorraine Ospedales, who joined Trump this year, of attempting to raid a number of ravishing clients.
Trump’s firm reps veteran mannequins Carol Alt, Kim Alexis and Pat Cleveland as part of its “Legends” division, as well as newer faces Liu Xu, Olivia Culpo and Polina Kouklina.
According to the suit, Ospedales signed an employee work agreement in 2011 at New York Models, stating she wouldn’t “attempt to solicit or take away” any clients — or provide information about any of the firm’s models — for a period of six months if she went to another agency.
The suit alleges that when Ospedales jumped to Trump in March, she “was contacting models whom she knew to be under contract with [New York Models] in an attempt to induce them to breach their contracts,” and that Trump Models was “aiding and abetting” her “wrongful actions.”
Ospedales allegedly tried to poach beauties including Christina Makowski, Vanusa Savaris and Veronica Zoppolo. “Ospedales has attempted to solicit no fewer than three models … within the first 30 days following her departure … a clear violation of her employment agreement,” the suit filed in state Supreme Court says.
New York Models is suing for unspecified damages for breach of contract and other claims, including that Ospedales owes the firm $3,724.
But Trump Organization EVP and general counsel Alan Garten shot back: “These allegations are completely baseless and without merit. The agent didn’t even have an enforceable agreement [with New York Models], and even if she had, we haven’t done anything to violate it.”
New York Models’ Heinz Holba said, “We will spare no expense to protect the integrity of the agency and its models from being poached.” His lawyer Robert Hantman added, “I’m surprised Trump Models would stoop to such a level.”