Model sues over 'snobbery' towards doorman husband
A New York foot model has launched a $10m lawsuit against the board of her swanky apartment block, accusing it of trying to force her out for falling in love with the Hispanic doorman.
Christina Ambers, who has been described as the “Heidi Klum of foot models”, lives in a flat in the wealthy Upper East Side part of town, a stone’s throw away from where Sex And The City character Carrie Bradshaw supposedly resides.
But since marrying former employee Angel Rotger earlier this year, the 36-year-old claims she has been shunned by staff who now refuse to pass on packages or hail taxicabs for her.
The couple also allege Mr Rotger has been physically assaulted, with a sharp blow to the groin from a bag held by the superintendent’s wife resulting in “a contusion of the testicle”, according to court documents.
To make matters worse, they are currently unable to sell the pad due to a buckled floor – the result of a water leak that Ms Ambers claims the board at 340 East 74th Street are refusing to fix.
Mr Rotger, 32, worked as a porter and doorman at the posh condominium, where he met Ms Ambers after she bought and moved in to the flat in 2003.
But he was sacked by the management after refusing to end his relationship with the hand and foot model, whom he went on to marry.
He moved into the apartment to live with his wife. But since then the pair have been subjected to snobbery and taunts, it is alleged.
It is also claimed that Mr Rotger is discriminated against because of his race.
Documents filed at Manhattan’s Supreme Court on Tuesday state “The building personnel do not perform simple tasks for the plaintiff that they perform for other occupants of the subject building like gathering packages and hailing taxis.”
As to the alleged assault on Mr Rotger, the lawsuit claims the drunk wife of the super “without provocation took her bag and slammed it into Rotger’s groin”.
The court document adds: “Angel was in horrible pain and went to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a contusion of the testicle.”
In a bid to get the couple evicted, the co-operative board plan to hold a vote to terminate Ms Ambers’ right of occupancy, it is claimed.
Her lawyer Joshua Price explained that despite being the owner of the flat, the ballot could lead to his client’s home being repossessed.
He added that Ms Ambers would love to be able to leave and find somewhere less snooty to live, but her buckled floorboards make the flat unsellable.
“At present she would be very happy to sell her apartment and go somewhere where they will be accepted. But she is in a Catch-22,” Mr Price said.
The couple claim that snobbery and a degree of racism are behind the board’s conduct, stating that it “stems in large part from the fact that this wealthy Upper East Side co-operative objects to a Hispanic former porter residing side-by-side with the other co-operators.”
A phone call to the lawyer representing the owners of the apartment block was not returned.
