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Ex-Model Sues Over <em>Couples Retreat</em> Favreau Porn Prop Scene
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 12, 2010
Modified Mar 12, 2010
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By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 12, 2010
Modified Mar 12, 2010
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Remember that hilaaairious scene in Couples Retreat when horndog Jon Favreau rubs one out while leering at a bikini model on the cover of a brochure? Probably not, because you most likely didn't see it, but anyway that tree did fall in the woods, and now we have one of our beloved tabloid lawsuit stories, because the model in the photo is suing NBC Universal for $10 million in damages for her "great humiliation, embarrassment, emotional distress, shame, mortification and injury to her reputation and career."
Irina Krupnik, originally from Russia, left the modeling biz seven years ago and is now a successful makeup artist. But back when she was 21, she was doing modeling shoots in the Bahamas, and once signed a release allowing commercial use of some images through stock photo agencies. But Krupnik never dreamed she'd make her motion picture debut years later, when, according to the lawsuit, Favreau's "much older, dessicated and overweight character" uses the photo to "pleasure himself." Her attorneys also claim the incident "would be a crime if Mr. Favreau attempted it on a New York City subway." The lawsuit reads like it was written by a nasty blogger who almost got cast in Swingers:
Favreau, playing a character at least twice the age of Ms. Krupnik in the photo, waits until his wife leaves their hotel room before lifting his sleeveless T-shirt over his prominent belly. He then liberally lubricates himself while leering at the image of the youthful Ms. Krupnik on a beach, a scenario apparently intended to be humorous. [Krupnik] found out about her movie debut from clients and acquaintances who viewed the movie, recognized her and notified her that her picture was being used in this tawdry and shocking context.
In other words, it would have been one thing if it had been somebody like that Ryan Gosling doing the self-pleasuring in a legitimately funny movie, but not that fat old Favreau. Ew. Krupnik's lawyer concedes that she did sign a "general release" (heh) allowing the photo's use, but she never dreamed it would be used in a "quasi-pornographic context." Now her "wholesome" image is forever tarnished by Couples Retreat and the ten people who remember that scene. Her lawyer declares, "At the very least, common decency means you should ask somebody before you put them into a scene that's essentially pornography."
Tagged
couples retreat
irina krupnik
jon favreau
lawsuit
model
suing
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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