Israel Convicts Top Model Bar Refaeli Over Tax Offences

An Israeli court has convicted one of the world’s most famous models, Bar Refaeli, on tax evasion charges, and jailed her mother, in a verdict that ends a lengthy case against the celebrity and her family.

Wearing a face mask in line with coronavirus regulations, Refaeli and her mother, Zipi, entered the Tel Aviv court to a flurry of camera flashes from photographers.

The pair confessed to offences of evading taxes on income nearing $10m (£7.9m).

Under a plea bargain agreement made last month, Refaeli will serve nine months of community service and her mother will be sent to prison for 16 months. They were also ordered to pay a £1.2m fine on top of millions of back taxes owed to the state.

Refaeli’s lawyers argued that the plea bargain showed she had not intentionally evaded tax.

The long-running trial had gripped the Israeli public, with Refaeli at one point claiming to Israeli tax authorities that she should be exempt from paying dues because she was living in the US with her then boyfriend, Leonardo DiCaprio. She later married the Israeli billionaire Adi Ezra.

The 35-year-old model and her mother were investigated for failing to report discounts on luxury goods and other perks that should have been subject to income tax.

Despite being ordered to stay in Israel unless given specific approval to leave, Refaeli has maintained her status as a popular TV personality. Last year, she hosted the Eurovision song contest at a glitzy ceremony in Tel Aviv.

The model was first propelled to fame when she appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s swimwear edition in 2009, a year prosecutors allege she underreported her tax liability.

The case mostly revolved around her residency status in the following years, as she toured the world for shoots, taking dozens of flights and spending much of her time outside Israel.

Refaeli attempted to prove her “centre of life” for tax purposes was in the US with DiCaprio and was therefore not liable to some Israeli tax.

Prosecutors rejected her claim and charged her with providing incorrect tax information, while judges found her relationship with DiCaprio did not qualify as a “family unit”, meaning she should have paid the full taxes.

Among the allegations were that Refaeli did not pay rent for her apartment in Tel Aviv despite living there, paid an interior designer for his services by doing publicity for his business, and received a car from a company in return for publicity, none of which were declared.

Monday’s indictment said Refaeli’s mother, who was also her agent, had also signed leases for her daughter under the names of other family members to obscure Refaeli’s residency status.

Zipi Refaeli was charged with failure to report income, avoiding paying taxes and aiding someone else in evading tax payments.

The Associated Press contributed to this report