Following the debut of Netflix’s The Tinder Swindler, the victims from the documentary respond to the news of the Hollywood ambitions of alleged scammer Shimon Yehuda Hayut, also known as Simon Leviev. Directed by Felicity Morris, the true-crime documentary follows the story of three women who were victims: Cecilie Fjellhoy, Pernilla Sjoholm, and Ayleen Charlotte. Recently, the three victims presented in the documentary have raised more than £140,000 on their GoFundMe page.
Now, per ETCanada, in an interview on the Tamron Hall show, victim Sjoholm shares her perspective of the alleged scammer’s plans to venture into the entertainment industry, as Leviev has recently signed with a talent manager and joined Cameo to create personalized videos for a flat fee. In response to the news, Sjoholm discloses her dismay as she “was heartbroken to see any company to collaborate with a criminal.” She further adds to her concerns, reaffirming the allegations against him in Europe and the U.S. and being disappointed in Gina Rodriguez of Giton Inc.’s decision to sign Leviev. Read her response below:
“To be honest, I was heartbroken to see any company to collaborate with a criminal, he is wanted, still, in Europe, so he’s just hiding in Israel at the moment. I think he has crimes against him, allegations against him in the U.S, as well, but no…It’s honestly heartbreaking. I mean, like, we’re coming out here, sharing our story, trying to share the world a criminal and what he’s doing and for anyone to collaborate with these types of people, like, it’s honestly, it’s very heartbreaking. Like, and to see like, he has a manager, it’s a woman. As a woman, I don’t know how you can go to bed at night. I mean, this could be your daughter that this happened to, it could be your sister, your family member that this happened to. It’s not that he scammed us, he put death threats on us. I mean, like, it’s serious things.”
Since the release of The Tinder Swindler, the convicted fraudster that posed as a wealthy diamond mogul has quickly garnered media attention, with the documentary rising into Netflix’s top 10 charts. In response to the documentary, Tinder has permanently banned Leviev from the dating app where he allegedly lured women with destination dates and conned them out of thousands, leaving many in debt and heartbroken. Despite the negative media attention and the allegations against him, it appears that many are still interested in hearing Leviev’s side of the story, with Leviev setting his eyes to make his debut in the entertainment industry.
Source: ETCanada
