Arrested socialite Libbie Mugrabi claims she is victim of ‘glamping’ housekeeper — and Hamptons cops

The Bobster

Senior News Editor since 2004

Arrested socialite Libbie Mugrabi claims she is victim of ‘glamping’ housekeeper — and Hamptons cops​



By
Michael Kaplan


November 25, 2022 6:44pm
Updated





Socialite Libbie Mugrabi was arrested this week and charged with attacking a housekeeper at her Water Mill, NY, home (above) in July. But she told The Post that she is the victim -- of the housekeeper, other workers and the police.
Socialite Libbie Mugrabi was arrested this week and charged with attacking a housekeeper at her Water Mill, NY, home (above) in July. But she told The Post that she is the victim -- of the housekeeper, other workers and the police. New York Post







Libbie Mugrabi, who was arrested this week and charged with attacking a housekeeper, told The Post that she is the victim — and that her 10,000-square-foot house was hijacked while she was away by domestic “workers who were not supposed to be living there. They weren’t doing any work. They were glampin’ in the Hamptons.”
The Southampton Police Department issued a statement earlier this week saying Mugrabi was charged with menacing, criminal mischief and criminal possession of a weapon.
An unnamed housekeeper told Southampton police that Mugrabi attacked her on July 31 with a mop handle and a knife, and broke her cellphone. A police report was filed over the summer, with the housekeeper claiming the tussle was over money she is owed by Mugrabi.
But Mugrabi alleged to The Post that the workers overtook her home and that the housekeeper attacked her and stole her designer shoes. She also claims to have been roughed up by Southampton police officers.
The housekeeper told Southampton police that Mugrabi attacked her with a mop handle and a knife, and broke her cell phone. But Murgrabi said the employee threw a phone, part of a mop and a bible at her.The housekeeper told Southampton police that Mugrabi attacked her with a mop handle and a knife, and broke her cellphone, but Murgrabi said the employee threw a phone, part of a mop and a Bible at her.New York Post
Mugrabi — whose 2020 split from billionaire art collector David Mugrabi was called NYC high society’s “nastiest divorce” — claimed that she encountered the uninvited guests after returning home from her seven-week summer getaway during the wee hours of July 31.
While on that trip, Mugrabi previously told The Post, some $500,000 in clothing and jewelry was stolen from her at an Ibiza resort.


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Claiming she was roughed up by police during her arrest, Mugrabi shows off bruises on her wrists and scratches on her hand.
Claiming she was roughed up by police during her arrest, Mugrabi shows off bruises on her wrists and scratches on her hand.

Claiming she was roughed up by police during her arrest, Mugrabi shows off bruises on her wrist.
Mugrabi said workers overtook her home and that the housekeeper attacked her and stole her designer shoes. Courtesy of Libbie Mugrabi

Claiming she was roughed up by police during her arrest, Mugrabi shows off bruises on her wrist.
Claiming she was roughed up by police during her arrest, Mugrabi shows off bruises on her wrist. Courtesy of Libbie Mugrabi



“They should have been doing work on my house but not living in my house,” Mugrabi said of the workers, adding they came from Latin America. “The night I came home, a lady was in my guest room — she was supposed to have been let go. I went to use the bathroom, saw her, and I got scared to death.”


Mugrabi said she told the woman, hired as a housekeeper, to leave. “She started throwing stuff at me,” the socialite said. “She threw a cellphone and the bottom of a stringy mop at me. She was screaming like a crazy person and threw a Bible at me.

The socialite was arrested at her Water Mill, Hamptons, home, where the July 31 attack allegedly took place.The socialite was arrested at her home in Water Mill, where the July 31 attack allegedly took place.Kevin C. Downs for NY Post Home of Libbie Mugrabi in Water Mill, HamptonsThe property measures 10,000 square feet.Google Earth
“I went into my bedroom and locked the door. I heard more screaming and called her an Uber [at around 3 a.m. on July 31]. My handyman convinced her to leave,” Mugrabi added. “She complained that she had no cash. I gave her $500 or $600 out of my wallet. I just wanted her to leave … She got driven to Brooklyn. It cost me $268. Plus she had my vintage ballet flats, Chanel shoes and Balenciaga shoes in her bag.”


The Post viewed the Uber receipt.


As for the attack allegation leveled against her, Mugrabi said: “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.”

 A source close told Mugrabi that the workers were driving Libbie's Porsche, sleeping in her bed and wearing her clothing while she was away.A source close told Mugrabi that the workers were “driving Libbie’s Porsche, sleeping in her bed and wearing her clothing” while she was away.New York Post
A source close to Mugrabi told The Post that the alleged interlopers “were living in the house during July, driving Libbie’s Porsche, sleeping in her bed and wearing her clothing — including a hat that had ‘Libbie’ on the front.”


Mugrabi’s mother, Jane Scher, also claimed to The Post that she witnessed the alleged takeover firsthand.


“I went to the house [in July] because Libbie said I could stay there while she was in Europe,” said Scher, an aesthetic nurse in Manhattan. “The people there told me I could only go in the pool house and I was not allowed in the main house.

Jane Scher (left), Mugrabi's mom, said she visited the home while Mugrabi was away — and was told by workers that she had to stay in the pool house and not enter the main residence.Mugrabi’s mom Jane Scher said she visited the home while her daughter was away — and was told by workers that she had to stay in the pool house and not enter the main residence.Patrick McMullan via Getty Image
“At first I couldn’t reach Libbie on the phone and didn’t want to upset anybody. So I stayed in the [600-square-foot] pool house where I had to share a bed with my friend. She couldn’t believe that these people had taken over Libbie’s house.”


Meanwhile, Scher alleged, “They were in the pool and the hot tub and wouldn’t even give me a cup of coffee. I thought they had a better life than I do.”

Mugrabi's 2020 split from billionaire art collector David Mugrabi was called NYC high society's nastiest divorce. Mugrabi’s 2020 split from billionaire art collector David Mugrabi was called NYC high society’s “nastiest divorce.” New York Post
When Scher did connect with her daughter, “Libbie told them to feed me. They gave me some kind of soup with ginger. It tasted OK. I was starving.”


Mugrabi said she got the remaining people out of her house by Aug. 9.


On Tuesday of this week, Southampton police officers showed up at her Water Mill home, where she was working with fashion consultant Marko Matysik.

Seen here in London, Mugrabi has been working on a fashion line.Seen here in London, Mugrabi has been working on a fashion line.Dave Benett/Getty Images for Lib
“All of a sudden, the police were aggressive for no reason,” Mugrabi said. “They attacked me and handcuffed me. I said that they were twisting my wrist. They said, ‘It’s OK.’ I asked them to read me my rights. They said, ‘We don’t read rights for this.’”


Matysik was watching from the terrace at the time. “Next thing I knew, Libbie was in handcuffs. She was wearing a wife-beater and hot pants. I grabbed as many of her handbags and hand luggage as I could [in case she needed anything inside them] and got into the chauffeured Suburban and followed the police car.”

Fashion consultant Marko Matysik saw Mugrabi being arrested in a wife-beater and hot pants.Fashion consultant Marko Matysik saw Mugrabi being arrested in “a wife-beater and hot pants.”Ben A. Pruchnie
Mugrabi — who once compared herself to Princess Diana, calling her marriage a “gilded cage” — was arrested for charges stemming from the alleged July incident.


“They wanted to get me for something,” Mugrabi said of police. “I don’t know what I did in Southampton except pay my taxes.”


Mugrabi said that cops “twisted my fingers” when they fingerprinted her. Matysik added that the socialite was held for around four hours while the police did paperwork: “They were very happy to have her in their jailhouse.”

Having spent Thanksgiving at her Upper East side home, Mugrabi then flew to Miami ahead of Art Basel.Having spent Thanksgiving at her Upper East side home, Mugrabi then flew to Miami ahead of Art Basel.BACKGRID Mugrabi is due to appear in court on the charges on Dec. 6.Mugrabi is due to appear in court on the charges on Dec. 6.New York Post
She received a ticket ordering her to appear in court on Dec. 6.


The Southampton Police Department did not respond to requests for comment.





“It seems that she is clearly the victim here,” attorney Arthur Aidala of Aidala, Bertuna & Kamins, who is representing Mugrabi, told The Post. “There is clearly a misunderstanding of what took place on the day of the incident. We look forward to working with the prosecutor’s office and having all the charges against Libbie dismissed.”


After some time in her Upper East Side townhouse, Mugrabi was supposed to go to Miami for Thanksgiving — but postponed the trip because of all the commotion. “I had Thanksgiving in New York,” she said on Thursday night. “I definitely would not have had it in the Hamptons. Right now, I’m scared to go there.”
 
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