They said/We said: Linda Evangelista and Francois-Henri Pinault settle their child custody battle for an undisclosed sum

Photography by Amy Sussman/Stringer
Photography by Amy Sussman/Stringer

By Kyla Parrish

A still-secret settlement has been reached between fashion heavyweights Linda Evangelista and Francois-Henri Pinault, who turned the Manhattan Family Court into an all-out battleground on which the two waged war last week over child support for their son, Augie.

Evangelista, the Canadian supermodel and former Cover Girl who is famous for saying “we [supermodels] don’t wake up for less than $10,000 a day,” was seeking a record $46,000 in monthly child support from Pinault.  To date, the largest child support cheque in New York was awarded to Sean (P. Diddy) Combs’ baby’s momma Misa Hylton-Brim to the tune of $19,000 a month.

The Evangelista/Pinault child support case turned ugly as mud was thrown and both sides made allegations. Evangelista’s lawyer, William Beslow, claimed Pinault “suggested she terminate the pregnancy.” Pinault’s lawyer, David Aaronson, claimed that Evangelista was “trying to boot-strap herself into disguised alimony.” Aaronson continued by saying, “Most of the expenses [in Evangelista’s list of $46,000 a month in child care expenses] do not relate to Augie but they relate to Ms. Evangelista.”

We know what you’re thinking: does a five-year-old boy really need $46,000 a month in child support from his billionaire father? Evangelista seems to think so.  How else is the former Cover Girl supposed to cover the tab for 24-hour nannies and pricey chauffeurs—the chauffeurs are former NYPD cops, so at $16,000 a month they’re a steal—for young Augie?

THEY SAID…

David Aaronson, attorney for Pinault: “Everybody’s glad, for the sake of the child, that it’s done.” [Reuters]

Shinan Govani: “Linda Evangelista tells court: I picked cherries in Canada before I was a supermodel. Translation: I’m no gold-digger.” [Twitter]

WE SAID…

Randi Bergman, online editor: “This is the stuff that the most stylish soaps are made of. However, I really hope for the sake of both of Pinault’s kids that this hullabaloo disappears and never comes back. Serious daddy issues in the making.”

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