Actress and model Greice Santo has claimed in a lawsuit that Daryl Katz, who owns the Edmonton Oilers hockey team, offered her money and a movie role in exchange for sex. Santo starred in six episodes of Jane the Virgin as Blanca, Santos' love interest in The Passions of Santos.
Variety reports that Santo's husband, R.J. Cipriani, filed the lawsuit against Katz on Monday. Cipriani claims that Glenn Bunting of G.F. Bunting & Co, which was hired by Katz, "tarnished his reputation in order kill a story about Katz in the New York Post," according to Variety.
Katz's lawyers, meanwhile, claim that Cipriani and Santo tried to "extort $3 million from Katz as the price for keeping quiet," according to Variety.
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Variety reports that Santo went to Katz's hotel room after Canadian executive Michael Gelmon suggested the two meet, as Katz is his cousin. "Katz said he could put me in a big role that would change my life and then switched the conversation and said he rather give me money," Santo wrote in a statement.
Santo told Variety that she rejected Katz's suggestions, but she was sent $35,000 in two wire transfers. She told Variety that Katz told her he was "looking for companionship and sex" in exchange for the money and role.
Santo agreed to a second meeting with Katz after he texted her, Variety reports. "As long as you are willing to help me forge those relationships which could dramatically help my career that would be great," she reportedly texted him. After that, Gelmon allegedly wired Santo $20,000 before the meeting, which the star told Variety was a "good faith gesture." According to Santo's story, provided to Variety, Katz again proposed exchanging money for sex at the second meeting, and she left.
The actress told Variety that last March, Gelmon sent her another $15,000 and tried to set up another meeting between her and Katz, but she didn't go.
Santo was also reportedly offered a "three-picture deal to keep quiet," the outlet notes.
"This is not about money," Santo told Variety. "This is about me standing up for other women."
Refinery29 has reached out to a rep for Santo, as well as G.H. Bunting & Co. and Katz's attorney, Dennis Roach. We will update this story with any responses.