Yahoo Lifestyle Model Loses Contract Over Gaddafi Romance
A German model working in New York has lost a major contract after revealing she had a four-year romance with Gaddafi's son, Mutassim.
Vanessa Hessler referred to her ill-fated relationship with the former Libyan dictator's fifth-born as "a very beautiful love story", telling Italian magazine Diva e Donna, "We, France and the United Kingdom, financed the rebels but people don't know what they are doing. The Gaddafi family is not how they are being depicted, they are normal people. I didn't have any contact with him since the uprising broke out, but our relationship was one of passion."
Hessler, who was the face of leading German telecommunications company Hansenet GmbH for four years before the scandal broke, was quickly dumped by the company after the comments were published.
"Vanessa Hessler's relationships are private business," reasoned the company. "However we cannot accept her comments on the Libya conflict."
Hessler, who is represented by 1ModelManagement in New York, has previously appeared on the runway for Prada and in ad campaigns for Armani, Calvin Klein and L'Oreal.
Although the model is not currently contracted to any major beauty or fashion house, insiders expect the controversy will severely impact any future bookings.
On the other hand, reasons New York Magazine, "the industry has never been especially wary of hiring controversy-tainted models (see: Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell). But perhaps her comments will be viewed as more egregious than any old drug abuse or cell phone assault accusation."
