Libbie Mugrabi, ex-wife of billionaire art collector David Mugrabi, pleaded not guilty to charges of menacing, criminal mischief, and criminal possession of a weapon in the Southampton Town Justice Courtearlier this week, according to reporting by Page Six.
The charges stem from an altercation between Mugrabi and her maid. In late July, her housekeeper confronted Mugrabi about her missing wages. Allegedly, the discussion ended with Mugrabi breaking the housekeeper’s phone and evicting the housekeeper by threatening her with a mop handle and a knife.
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Mugrabi denies this chain of events. Rather, she claims that her housekeeper had attacked Mugrabi and when she was kicked out of the house, took several pairs of vintage designer shoes with her.
“I would never hit somebody. I’m not aggressive physically. I’m aggressive with my voice. Everything she said I did to her, she did to me,” Mugrabi told the New York Post.
Meanwhile, Mugrabi is facing other financial straits. A judge issued an eviction warrant in October and $158,000 in owed rent, according to the Real Deal. Mugrabi’s landlord claims that Mugrabi in fact owes $1.5 million more in unpaid rent. During the pandemic, Mugrabi filed a declaration of financial hardship that protected her from eviction under the pandemic’s eviction moratorium.
Since 2021, however, the situation has changed. The eviction moratorium expired, and Mugrabi’s divorce was settled, leaving her with $100 million and a few priceless artworks. Mugrabi now claims that she owes her landlord nothing and will in fact be suing him for emotional damages against her and her children.