The Sunday News
Rebecca Nyathi
SEX scandals are usually top of the list when it comes to models and their agencies but this time it’s a scandal that is completely divorced from sex.
It, however, involves a model and her agent where accusations and counter accusations have been flying thick and fast between the two. Maybe partly because it involves women, money, promises and lies. And venom has been spat with the agency accusing the model of being problematic.
The hullabaloo is between a model, Margret Brewer and the founder of AM Modelling Agency, Amanda Mutangandura. Brewer is accusing Mutangadura of conning her of prize money and a trip to Taiwan.
According to Brewer, she was crowned face of AM modelling agency last year and for that she was supposed to be given a sum of 3 000 rand. From that amount she claims she was only given 1 750 rand. As for the trip to Taiwan, it never materialised and she said she had been told endless stories, some of which she could not comprehend.
“I was crowned Face of Modelling Agency last year, the winner was supposed to get a sum of 3 000 rand but I was only given 750 rand. Amanda then gave me a Brazilian hairpiece which she said was original and cost 2 000 rand, she then took 1 000 rand from the balance which was left so basically I can say she paid me 1 750 rand. I later noticed that the hairpiece was a fake one. I wasn’t given the rest of the money, that is 1 250 rand. When I was left with two weeks to go to Taiwan for Face of Beauty International which was supposed to be funded by the agency because it was part of the prize I had won Amanda asked me to list a number of companies which were going to help me raise the ticket money. That was new to me as it was never part of my winning deal,” said Brewer.
As if that was not enough, Brewer said she was even told to ask her parents to raise half of the money to buy a ticket to Taiwan.
“Where did she expect my parents to get $500 in two weeks, after all that was something she was supposed to do. She then asked me to write a list of companies that were going to sponsor me. She asked me to do that when I was left with two weeks,” she said.
The former face of the modelling agency added that she refused to crown the current face of modelling agency without getting the rest of her money.
“Don’t make me laugh,” read part of the Whatsapp message from Mutangadura after being told that Brewer had refused to crown the current face of the modelling agency.
According to Mutangadura, Brewer was supposed to be given 3 000 rand in prizes not in cash. She said she first gave Brewer 750 rand then they made an agreement on a Brazilian hairpiece where Brewer was supposed to pay 1 000 rand, which was to be deducted from the 2 250 rand.
“I gave Brewer 750 rand. I then sold her a Brazilian hairpiece for 2 000 rand, from where I subtracted 1 000 rand from that 2 250 rand. Then there were some expenses that had to be covered for her such as her hair which was 600 rand but 400 rand was paid by Brewer and a balance of 200 rand was left.
“Also her dress was 450 rand. The only money I owe her is $22. As for the Brazilian hairpiece which she claims was fake, I told her to bring it back if she did not want it but she did not,” said Mutangadura.
She added that when she tried to explain to Brewer that 3 000 rand was prize money not cash she threw the documents which contained that information on the desk and left the premises.
“Going to Taiwan was a bonus, as an agent we were there to assist her. She did not do any projects from where she was supposed to get the sponsorship. I wonder how she then expected the corporate world to assist.
“Brewer was not sure if she wanted to go, she was a going person today then tomorrow she wasn’t,” she said.
Mutangadura added that they had never faced this type of problem before. “This is our first time as a modelling agency to have such a problem. We try our best to honour our obligations to our models and we’ve never had any such complaints.”
Brewer, however, insisted that she did her homework and had pictures to prove that she did her projects.
