Jamaican model takes on Donald Trump
THE lawsuit brought by Jamaican model Alexia Palmer against American business tycoon Donald Trump and other principals at Trump Model Management agency has taken a new twist.
The Sunday Observer has learned that the Trump Model Management has filed a motion to dismiss its initial response to a suit brought in October by Palmer.
This was confirmed by the New York law firm representing Palmer. They, however, declined to give any further comment on the matter.
Pulse, the Jamaican modelling agency which discovered Palmer and still represents her, also declined to comment.
“Pulse cannot comment at this time as the matter is in court. Also, there are confidentiality issues,” said Cooper in a statement to our queries.
Palmer, who has appeared in a number of fashion glossies including Vogue and Teen Vogue and has lead campaigns for Chanel and Iman cosmetics, filed the suit against Trump’s agency alleging that she was stiffed out of more that US$200,000 in salaries.
Palmer claims that Trump’s company lied to the federal government by documenting on her work visa application that her annual salary would be US$75,000. However, it is being reported that between 2011 and 2013, all the 5-foot 10-inch model received from the agency was US$3,880 after they deducted their standard 20 per cent fee and other miscellaneous expenses.
These ‘fees’ are said to be grooming costs which included walking lessons, a visit to the dermatologist, a constant supply of make-up as well as limousine rides.
In their initial response, the Trump organisation noted that the expense deductions are standard and that the US$75,000 figure was more of an estimate rather than an actual contractual obligation.
Trump Model Management was founded in 1999.
She was discovered by Pulse as a teenager in 2010 through their Caribbean Model Search. She would go on to place in the top three of the fashion model section of the search, which was won by Hanna Lettman.
Palmer created history becoming the first Jamaican model to appear in the fashion bible Vogue, without being signed to an international agency.
Test shots of her wearing her Dunoon Technical High School uniform were submitted by Pulse and became the basis of her selection for her first Vogue shoot.