Law & Politics
An Art Advisor Is Suing Rudy Giuliani for Failing to Pay Her for Appraising His Collection During His Contentious Divorce
The art advisor Miller Gaffney says Giuliani owes her more than $15,000 for her services.
The art advisor Miller Gaffney says Giuliani owes her more than $15,000 for her services.
Eileen Kinsella ShareShare This Article
Rudolph Giuliani, the former New York City mayor and attorney to Donald Trump, has been hit with a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court by an art advisor who says he failed to pay for her appraisal services, which he received during his contentious divorce from Judith Nathan in 2019.
The advisor, Miller Gaffney, runs the firm MGAA. She is alleging that Giuliani owes more than $15,700 for services rendered. The suit, filed on Friday, includes breach of contract and unjust enrichment claims.
(For insiders, Gaffney’s name might also be familiar from her role on Ovation TV’s 2015 art advisor-themed reality show Art Breaker$.)
In November 2019, Gaffney invoiced a total of $27,300 for her services appraising the estranged couple’s fine and decorative art collections in order to determine their market value “for equitable distribution purposes.”
MGAA claims it has demanded payment on at least nine occasions. In addition to the unpaid amount for the appraisal services, MGAA is also seeing attorneys’ costs and fees.
“My client completed the appraisal that Mr. Giuliani requested and her invoice must be paid,” said attorney Wendy Lindstrom, who is representing MGAA.
Giuliani could not immediately be reached for comment. In a statement to the Daily News, he said: “It may be left over from my divorce, but I don’t have such a bill.”
Citing the New York Post, the Art Newspaper notes that Giuliani and Nathan reportedly had $30 million in property and assets at the time Nathan filed for divorce in April 2018. The two were married for 15 years.
The divorce was settled last December after bitter fighting including “nickel-and-diming accusations” on both sides. Nathan claimed that Giuliani stole her prized Christmas decorations while Giuliani accused Nathan of stealing the cable television box.
It is not clear which artworks they owned or how the collection was ultimately divided up.