4-WAY 'TRIANGLE'
SEXTORT-SUIT MODEL HAS 'SHAM HUBBY'
By DAREH GREGORIAN
January 27, 2007 -- The sexy Mexican model at the center of a love triangle and extortion lawsuit involving a top fashion photographer and a jeans designer has been married to yet another man for the past two years, court papers say.
Fernanda Romero tied the knot with the unidentified actor in 2005 in a marriage that was arranged by her jealous former fiance, Rock & Republic CEO Michael Ball, the filings say.
The union "was a fraudulent marriage for immigration purposes," the suit says.
Ball was sued earlier this week by shutterbug Markus Klinko in a $500,000 breach-of-contract action.
Klinko alleged that the self-proclaimed "Super Jefe" Ball backed out of a business deal and tried to extort him with X-rated pictures.
The dispute allegedly came after Ball found out Klinko was dating Romero.
"Fueled by jealousies over an ex-fiance [who] abandoned Ball and who subsequently entered into a long-term romantic relationship" with Klinko, Ball "embarked on a crusade to intimidate Klinko personally and professionally," the suit says.
"This is about protecting my business and my reputation. I'm defending myself," said Klinko, who's worked with the likes of Janet Jackson, Britney Spears and Mariah Carey.
"It's about standing up to a bully," added his lawyer, Anthony LoPresti.
Klinko said his former gal pal Romero, 24, told him she and Ball had a "tortured" relationship over the years.
They met in Mexico when Romero was in a teen singing group, and she soon moved in with him, Klinko said.
He said Romero found the relationship "awkward" because they were living in the same Los Angeles house as Ball's business partner - his former girlfriend.
The couple got engaged, but the relationship then soured. Klinko's suit said there were "instances of violence by Ball leading to police involvement."
They broke up in 2005 after Romero went to Europe and had a tryst "with a Frenchman," Klinko said.
Later that year, Ball helped her set up her sham marriage, the suit says.
Klinko started dating Romero in January 2006. When he met Ball last month about doing an ad campaign for his company, Romero urged him to keep their relationship under wraps.
Ball was floored by Klinko's work and said he wanted a long-term partnership - but flipped out when he later found out about Klinko's "partnership" with Romero.
He got a hold of pictures that Klinko had e-mailed Romero of himself with two other women for "a self-portrait sex book" he was working on.
Bell then allegedly threatened to make them public unless Klinko "backed off" from both Romero and the deal.

Check out the WHOLE suit at http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...ogID=223213806 and give your point of view.

Fred Naggar vs. Rock & Republic / Michael Ball

NATURE OF ACTION

1. This action arises from the wrongful and intentional acts of both corporate defendant Rock & Republic Enterprises, Inc. (“Rock & Republic”), a manufacturer of designer denim jeans and apparel, and its CEO, founder and head designer, Michael Ball, a/k/a Michael F. Ball (“Ball”).

2. Despite the overwhelming success and revenue plaintiff Fred Naggar (“Naggar”) brought to and generated for the defendants, turning what was a fledgling jean company into a fashion empire, Rock & Republic and Michael Ball deliberately and without reason, refused to pay Naggar substantial monies owed, effectively ostracized him, and forced him to resign.

3. Defendants then publicly humiliated Naggar by having him escorted from their offices by security, while summarily and illegally evicting him from his own home by having the locks on his door changed and by retaining his personal property. Such acts of humiliation and intimidation were immediately followed by the filing of a frivolous lawsuit against Naggar’s related company, that had also generated millions for Rock & Republic.

4. In furtherance of a pattern and practice of intimidation directed at both Naggar’s person and profession, in May 2007, defendant Michael Ball, without provocation or warning, then violently assaulted Naggar physically and verbally, in a well-known, popular nightclub intending to and causing physical harm and embarrassment before a crowd of onlookers and business associates. Plaintiffs bring this action to recover damages resulting from the aforesaid intentional and wrongful acts and omissions of the defendants.



2.) New information was filed today in the Klinko vs. Rock & Republic case. A Memorandum of Law was filed supporting the case. In addition, documents were filed with the court about Ball's violent and criminal past, arrest and sentencing records and use of false social security numbers. An excerpt follows and the document is attached.

Excerpts from Klinko vs. Rock & Republic / Michael Ball

Introduced to the court 6/15/2007

23. In fact, as plead in the Complaint, prior to Michael Ball’s threats and extortion against me, I was well aware of his violent behavior, criminal history and psychological instability, as revealed to me by Ms. Fernanda Romero. Compl., paras. 23-25. Such a history and predisposition has been corroborated by numerous witnesses, further substantiating my fear and apprehension regarding his threats, as well as his motivation to silence my knowledge of the same. Attached as Exhibit “C” is the Affidavit of Cynthia Pinot (“Pinot Aff.”), which was also submitted in opposition to defendants’ motion to strike. The car chase and brutal assault by Michael Ball against Ms. Fernanda Romero, detailed in the Pinot Affidavit, has been further corroborated by both Alex DeFelipe and Pascal Azoulay, the gentlemen who were also assaulted and chased by Ball through the streets of Los Angeles. Both DeFelipe and Azoulay have also corroborated Ball’s pattern of intimidation against those that would expose such criminal conduct.

24. In addition to the above, our ongoing investigation has also corroborated various allegations made in the Complaint pertaining to defendant Michael Ball’s motive to threaten and extort plaintiffs, such as my knowledge of criminal activities, acts of violence, court ordered psychiatric treatment, Ball’s own use of a false social security number (which he presented to police upon his arrest and sentencing in the matter attached), and evidence that at least three different social security numbers were used by Fernanda Romero, corroborating both Romero’s and Ball’s admission that Ball assisted in obtaining the same. Two examples of the above are attached hereto as Exhibit “D” (arrest and sentencing report; Solis v. Ford, L.A. Superior Court, Case No. BC 22825.

Los Angeles Business Journal

Rock & Republic Founder Facing Suit After N.Y. Scrap

By EMILY BRYSON YORK - 6/25/2007

Los Angeles Business Journal Staff

Michael Ball, founder of Rock & Republic Enterprises Inc., frequently cites his rough and tumble upbringing – which included at least one jail stint – as part of the reason for his success.

The flamboyant designer’s street-tough image, coupled with a long-running money spat with a former employee, could be backfiring. Fred Naggar, a former consultant for Rock & Republic, claims that Ball threw a full cocktail glass at his back in the middle of Butter, a New York nightclub. Industry hot shots were at the club for a party to kick off Intermezzo, a new trade show for boutiques around the country.

"All of a sudden, something hit my back and I didn’t know what it was. I turned around and my shirt was wet and broken glass was all over the floor and Michael was standing on the couch pointing at me and shouting," Naggar said.

According to the suit, Ball screamed, "I’m going to hurt you! No one (expletive) with me!" Ball chose not to comment.

For Naggar, a former consultant with Rock & Republic, the alleged incident was the last straw. He filed suit in the Supreme Court in the State of New York, County of New York last week. He claims he is owed commissions for October 2005 through Spring 2006, or about $500,000. Naggar is also seeking punitive damages and attorney’s fees.

The suit alleges breach of contract, unjust enrichment, assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and wrongful eviction.

Naggar owns a Canadian distribution company that acquired the rights to Rock & Republic in early 2003. Naggar sales were eye-popping; his sales in Canada, a much smaller market, topped those of the brand in the U.S. Ball brought him on to serve as a consultant.

Naggar worked for Rock & Republic until late 2005, taking on responsibilities including sales and design. Then the relationship began to sour and Naggar said he stopped receiving his commission payments. He claims that when he attempted to confront Ball at the company headquarters, he was escorted out and evicted from the apartments he sublet from the company, in Los Angeles and New York, respectively.

Naggar has since founded A&F Apparel USA, a New York-based company that owns Glamour Campaign, a brand that sells at high-end department stores like Saks, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus.

Ball was the target of another lawsuit earlier this year. Markus Klinko, a photographer who entered into a longterm relationship with Ball’s former fiancé, filed suit against him in New York in January. He claimed extortion, tortuous interference with prospective business relations, intentional infliction of emotional distress and breach of contract, among other things.

Both Naggar and Klinko are represented by New York Attorney Anthony A. LoPresti of Meltzer LoPresti LLP.

The lawsuit can be found at: http://www.meltzerlopresti.com/cases.html

... and has absolutely zero time to be bothered with Michael Ball's immature, business disasters. Poor thing found himself right in the middle of this mess. Naggar too! He brought Rock and Republic to it's peak! I mean come on!? Ball!! Where is your brain!

With Naggar AND Klinko on his tail, Ball will most certainly get what he deserves --- Jail time. Lots of it! And an empty bank account. Even the king of a so-called, "fashion empire" like Rock and Republic can't hide from the law!

celebgossip - markus is hot! have you seen his new myspace photos?! damn.

i hate mr. ball. he's totally out of line. just the fact that he thinks he can get away with this behavior is way disturbing. hopefully his shenanigans stop here. i just threw out all of my rock and republic jeans. i can't be connected with anything such a dirty man has created. sad for naggar -- he's talented. he should start up his own fashion empire to beat down Ball's. he likely knows the business and rock and republic as a company better than Ball ever will.

Yup..he's going down....Good guys always win!!! Have you seen MArkus's new pictures on Myspace??? he's so freeeeeeeeeeeeaking hot!!!!! yiiikes!!!

could you also believe how nice Markus Klinko is to help Fernanda Romero get half of Rock & Republic. He's amazing and Michael Ball is a lunatic about to go BROKE!

This soap opera keeps getting more interesting!!! Fernando Romero is spilling the truth to investigators on her FRAUD MARRIAGE to Kent Ross!! I can’t believe Michael Ball arranged that and Kent Ross’s girlfriend Gladys Otero must be pissed! Famous people aren’t innocent from what it seems…haha