BRASILIA (AFP) — The sister of Gisele Buendchen, the world's top-paid supermodel, on Wednesday denied reports that her famous sibling has insisted on payment in euros rather than the declining US dollar.
Patricia Buendchen, who also acts as the supermodel's agent, said press and Internet reports quoting her saying her famous twin sister had spurned the US unit for Europe's much-stronger currency in her contracts were "not correct".
"It's a joke by some journalist, it's ridiculous," she said.
"I never said that to any press organization. We never talk about Gisele's contracts, and even less so the money involved," said Patricia Buendchen.
She added that Gisele, 27, is "continuing to sign her contracts in dollars or euros, as she has always done.
"She is bemused by these reactions. This information is not true ... I do not recall ever having said anything that could be interpreted in that way."
The company that handles publicity and contract negotiations for Gisele in Brazil, Image Net, has demanded a retraction from various media outlets, Patricia Buendchen said.
According to Forbes magazine, Gisele dominates the model pay scales with an income that has already topped 150 million dollars in less than a decade on the catwalk. In the 12 months to July this year, she earned 33 million dollars.
Many US media on Wednesday were treating Buendchen's purported snubbing of the dollar as an affront to the United States.
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