Naomi Campbell's day began along familiar lines on Monday. The supermodel was chauffeur-driven in a black sports utility vehicle with tinted windows surrounded by her minders and bodyguards. Reaching the venue, she strolled languidly past a long line of press photographers baying "Naomi, over here," before entering the building and changing into her costume.
And then it all went skewy. Where were the assistants to help her put on her clothes? Where were the makeup artists, the lighting experts and the seamstresses? Where, for heaven's sake, was the Vogue editor Anna Wintour?
The only people in sight were a few bemused-looking garbage collectors, real ones that is, not actors dressed up as garbage collectors of the sort used to add spice to fashion shoots. Campbell, 36, had just begun a weeklong exercise in seeing how the other half lived, courtesy of the New York penal system.
She was the guest of the city's sanitation department and will spend each day this week, from 8am to 4pm, at its warehouse in downtown Manhattan on the edge of the East River.
The community service, along with a compulsory payment of US$185 and a two-day anger management course, was her punishment for throwing a mobile phone at her housemaid, Ana Scolavino, who needed four stitches to the head.
For a celebrity who has endured a barrage of bad press over the incident a year ago, Campbell pulled off her entry to the warehouse at Pier 36 with considerable aplomb. She wore six-inch (15cm) stiletto heels, brown leggings, a black coat and hat and sunglasses.
Inside the warehouse and out of the reach of press lenses, Campbell changed into her boots and donned the standard issue gloves, dust mask and fluorescent safety vest. Then she was assigned her tasks for the day, at which point the full weight of her penance must have become evident to her.
Albert Durrell, a sanitation department deputy chief, explained that she would be asked to sweep and mop the warehouse floor, the locker rooms and windows. And yes, he said, "if they are dirty she will be cleaning toilets."
The one thing she won't have to endure is the prolonged attention of the media. The judge at her sentencing agreed she could stay indoors all week.
"Let me make this clear," Durrell said. "This program has been in Manhattan for over a year now. We've had a couple of celebrities, but the bottom line is everyone is treated with respect and dignity and they have a job to do and they perform well at it. So far so good, we haven't had any problems."
If Campbell, or any of the three other offenders doing community service with her this week, failed to do what they were told, he added, they would be straight back in front of a judge.
BACKLASH: The National Party quit its decades-long partnership with the Liberal Party after their election loss to center-left Labor, which won a historic third term Australia’s National Party has split from its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, citing policy differences over renewable energy and after a resounding loss at a national election this month. “Its time to have a break,” Nationals leader David Littleproud told reporters yesterday. The split shows the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor party won a historic second term in the May 3 election, powered by a voter backlash against US President Donald Trump’s policies. Under the long-standing partnership in state and federal politics, the Liberal and National coalition had shared power
A Croatian town has come up with a novel solution to solve the issue of working parents when there are no public childcare spaces available: pay grandparents to do it. Samobor, near the capital, Zagreb, has become the first in the country to run a “Grandmother-Grandfather Service,” which pays 360 euros (US$400) a month per child. The scheme allows grandparents to top up their pension, but the authorities also hope it will boost family ties and tackle social isolation as the population ages. “The benefits are multiple,” Samobor Mayor Petra Skrobot told reporters. “Pensions are rather low and for parents it is sometimes
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
Two people died and 19 others were injured after a Mexican Navy training ship hit the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said yesterday. The ship snapped all three of its masts as it collided with the New York City landmark late on Saturday, while onlookers enjoying the balmy spring evening watched in horror. “At this time, of the 277 on board, 19 sustained injuries, 2 of which remain in critical condition, and 2 more have sadly passed away from their injuries,” Adams posted on X. Footage shared online showed the Mexican Navy ship Cuauhtemoc, its sails furled
RSS