Yesterday the New York Post reported that lawyers for controversial liberal billionaire George Soros, 81, filed papers in the Manhattan Supreme Court denying allegations that he "attempted to choke" and "threw a lamp" at his former companion, Brazilian soap star Adriana Ferreyr, 28.
Ferreyr claims she has audio recordings that prove Soros reneged on a promise to buy her a luxury apartment in New York.
The New York Post further reports that Ferreyr has tapes containing "highly personal" information about her former beau and his associates.
According to documents filed in court, "Soros’ own representatives told Ferreyr, ‘What George had done does seem very cruel and arbitrary,’ and that they were ‘sympathetic to [her] situation and did not know why George was being so stubborn about the apartment.’ "
Soros’ attorney maintains that the claims are "extortionate," and that the lamp simply "fell" on the young starlet.
Soros is a major donor to the organization Human Rights Watch, which, among other things, works to promote women’s rights and prevent abuse.
Asked Wednesday if HRW has a comment regarding Soros’ allegedly abusive behavior, a spokesperson who identified herself only as Drake replied, "I’m not sure if we’ve done any work on that."
In response to an additional press inquiry sent via e-mail, HRW said that it is has "no comment on the lawsuit."