We rarely mention the words "Gaddafi" and "fashion" in the same sentence (well, except when we're reminiscing about the dictator's peculiar style).
But Gaddafi's son, Mutassim Gaddafi, actually dated Vanessa Hessler, an Italian American model who's shot TV spots for Armani, Calvin Klein and L'Oreal and walked Prada's Fall/Winter 2010 show.
Now, reports the Daily Mail, Hessler's relationship with Gaddafi has gotten her fired.
Hessler was let go from her job as the face of telecommunications company Telefonica Germany after speaking out about her connection to the Libyan regime. The 23-year-old told Italian magazine Diva e Donna that she and Mutassim had a "very beautiful love story." Translated by Vogue UK, she also said:
"We, France and the United Kingdom, financed the rebels but people don't know what they are doing... The Gaddafi family is not how they are being depicted, they are normal people. I didn't have any contact with him since the uprising broke out, but our relationship was one of passion."
But Telefonica Germany wasn't ready to separate the Gadaffis' personal lives from their dictatorial treatment of their citizens, says the Daily Mail. The company responded immediately via Twitter, writing, "Vanessa Hessler's relationships are private business. However we cannot accept her comments on the Lybia [sic] conflict."
A representative followed with the statement, "Vanessa Hessler has failed to distance herself from her comments on the conflict in Libya," resulting in the termination of her Telefonica Germany contract.
While some may see it as justified, we can't help but feel a bit bad for Hessler: within a two week span, she lost both her job and her boyfriend, as Mutassim Gadhafi was killed on October 21 in Libya.
Take a look at photos of Ms. Hessler as well as a pic of Mutassim Gadhafi (shaking hands with Hillary Clinton, of all people). Do you think Hessler should have been fired?
Clarification notice: An earlier version of this story stated that Telefonica is a German company. We have clarified the language to reflect that it is the German arm of an international company based in Spain.
