Israeli Supermodel Bar Refaeli Sentenced For Tax Evasion

On Sunday, a Tel Aviv court sentenced Israeli supermodel, Bar Refaeli, to nine months of community service on the grounds of tax evasion. The court also fined her 2.5 million shekels ($721,000) and directed her to pay all arrears on her income worth 10 million dollars.

Refaeli reportedly gave false statements regarding her periods of international residence to evade paying Israeli taxes. In Israel, non-resident citizens are exempt from reporting income from outside the country to the country’s tax authorities. Israeli authorities convicted her of the crime in July.

At the same hearing, Bar’s mother and agent, Tzipi Refaeli, was also sentenced to 16 months in jail over multiple tax charges. Additionally, the court ordered Tzipi to pay 2.5 million shekels besides her tax arrears.

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What You Should Know: 

• On Sunday, a Tel Aviv court sentenced Israeli supermodel, Bar Refaeli, to nine months of community service on the grounds of tax evasion.
• Bar’s mother and agent, Tzipi Refaeli was also sentenced to 16 months in jail over multiple tax charges.
• Many consider Bar Refaeli as Israel’s most notable contribution to the international modelling world.
• Refaeli became a paparazzi favourite during her romantic tryst with celebrated Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio in 2005.

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Israel’s Most Famous Supermodel

Many consider Bar Refaeli as Israel’s most notable contribution to the international modelling world. Formerly, Sports Illustrated also featured her as a swimsuit cover model. In 2012, Maxim magazine voted her as No.1 on their Hot 100 list. As a television host, Refaeli hosted “The X Factor Israel” and co-hosted the “Eurovision Song Contest 2019” in Tel Aviv. Currently, she continues to be a popular television personality as well as an entrepreneur in Israel.

Refaeli became a paparazzi favourite during her romantic tryst with celebrated Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio in 2005. Previously, the swimsuit model also stirred-up controversy when she dodged her two years of compulsory Israeli military service by tying the knot with her father’s friend. She ended up divorcing him after a short while.

Presently, 35-year-old Bar is married to Israeli businessman Adi Ezra. She has three children – two daughters and one son – with Ezra.

Refaeli’s Legal Woes

As per nydailynews.com, a Tel Aviv court officiated the pair's sentences. The website also reported that Bar and her mother had previously negotiated a plea bargain in June that directed them to pay a fine of $1.5 million and the taxes they owe. Their court appearance saw tight security, replete with a barricaded path in the courthouse’s lobby. One woman present at the site shouted, "We love you Bar" as the two women made their way through a frenzy of reporters and cameras without any comments.

Bar’s father, Rafi, and their lawyers accompanied the mother-daughter duo to the court hearing on Sunday. Amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, photographers caught all of them sporting masks at court. This recent ruling marks the end of a long-drawn case which saw Bar Refaeli first arrested and interrogated in December 2015.

Reportedly, Refaeli will undertake community service at a facility situated in a Tel Aviv suburb, beginning September 21. The facility reportedly aids people with extreme physical and mental disabilities.

Picture Credit: Wikipedia/USA Today

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Tarini Gandhiok is an intern with SheThePeople.TV