Bella Hadid's IMG Models and Emily Ratajkowski's DNA Model Management have also been named 'examinees' in an attempt to determine how founder Billy McFarland paid to promote the festival.
- January 30, 2019
AceShowbiz - Kendall Jenner may be subpoenaed as part of the bankruptcy case surrounding the ill-fated Fyre Festival.
Fyre Festival has been dubbed the scam of the century for charging attendees between $5,000 (£3,900) and $250,000 (£194,400) per ticket, boasting shows from major acts like Major Lazer, Tyga, Pusha T, and Desiigner, only to deliver cheese sandwiches and wet tents when it was cancelled almost immediately after it opened in April, 2017.
The Fyre Festival LLC estate filed for bankruptcy in July 2017, stating that it couldn't pay its vendors and other creditors. The festival's founder Billy McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison for fraud in October (2018) over the event and is currently serving time in the big house.
On Monday, January 28, a judge ruled that a group of talent agencies could be subpoenaed to determine the nature of their involvement with the music event. Among the 24 "examinees" are Kendall's company Kendall Jenner INC, as well as IMG Models, which represents models such as Hailey Baldwin and Bella Hadid, and DNA Model Management, which represents beauties such as Emily Ratajkowski.
Gregory Messer, the trustee overseeing the bankruptcy proceedings, requested the subpoenas to look into how McFarland paid the models and their agencies to promote the festival on social media.
According to the papers, Kendall's company was allegedly paid $275,000 (£209,000) to promote the festival on Instagram among other services, while DNA Model Management LLC is said to have been paid $299,000 (£227,000), and IMG Models apparently received more than $1.2 million from McFarland. The latest round of subpoenas, which was approved by a judge on Monday, is investigating a total of $5.2 million (£3.9 million) spent by the festival and McFarland on promotion.
Kendall, Hailey, Bella and Emily all appeared in a video announcement about Fyre Festival in early 2017. The clip showed them drinking cocktails and enjoying luxury yachts, while Kendall and her model friends also shared other promotional posts on Instagram about the festival - all of which is thought to have been a big factor in the music event selling tickets.
