Filed under: Celeb Updates
Victoria Secrets model Jessica White must be relieved after recent criminal charges against her were dropped. She allegedly assaulted a woman, Vanessa Kia, outside of a Chelsea nightclub over a taxi, and appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court on June 15th for her sentencing.
White has maintained her innocence from the beginning. She told the New York Post, "I acted out of self-defense. We know what happened that night."
Mark Heller, a lawyer defending White, said, "She did absolutely nothing wrong. [Kia] threw herself at [White's] group, and started pushing and fighting with them...she recognized she was Jessica White, and was shouting, 'You're a celebrity. I'm going to take you down." The lawyer also stated that surveillance tapes show White never initiated the fight.
The conditions of the dismissal are fairly straightforward: White must follow the judge's orders, which include attending anger management classes, paying $490 in fines and three days of community service. She also has to stay out of trouble for the next six months. David Smith, an attorney for White, told the Daily News, "It is not an admission of my client's guilt. This case will now correctly end in a complete dismissal."
White is happy with the results of the case and is looking forward to moving on. With the help of her mentor, Russell Simmons, the model will begin work on an anti-child abuse campaign. In addition, she has several career projects in the works including a new skin line for women of color, a new self-help book about addiction, and an appearance in a new reality show.