Alexandra Waterbury

Alexandra Waterbury
Waterbury in 2017
Born
Old Forge, New York
NationalityAmerican
EducationSchool of American Ballet
Alma materColumbia University
Occupation(s)ballet dancer
fashion model
Known forLawsuit against New York City Ballet and Chase Finlay

Alexandra Waterbury is an American ballet dancer and fashion model. In September 2018 she began a lawsuit against her former boyfriend and his employer—principal dancer Chase Finlay and New York City Ballet—and several other parties, alleging that the individuals named shared sexually explicit images and videos of Waterbury without her consent, and that the institutions named were co-liable.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] The case has since ended without verdict and Waterbury has enrolled as a law student at Albany Law School after the end of the case.

Early life and career

Waterbury is from Old Forge, New York.[8] She trained at the School of American Ballet (SAB) in New York City from 2013 to 2016.[9]

Waterbury is signed with Wilhelmina Models, City Models, and Munich Models.[10][11][12] In July 2016 Waterbury was the cover-girl L'Officiel Thailand.[13] In October 2017 Waterbury was photographed by Isaac Anthony for an editorial in Design Scene.[14] In March 2018 she was featured in a fashion editorial for L'Officiel's American publication.[15] In October 2018 Waterbury modeled for Lululemon Athletica's Royal Ballet Collection.[16]

Waterbury was scheduled to dance as a guest artist in Ballez's production of Giselle in 2020.[17] The show was postponed to June 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.[17] Waterbury completed an undergraduate degree at Columbia University in Politics and has since started law school at Albany Law School in New York.[18]

Personal life and NYCB lawsuit

Chase Finlay and Waterbury, 2017

Waterbury was in a relationship with Chase Finlay from 2016 until 2018.[19] In September 2018 Waterbury began a civil action in New York County Supreme Court against NYCB principal dancers Finlay, Amar Ramasar and Zachary Catazaro; NYCB patron Jared Longhitano; New York City Ballet; and SAB. Her lawsuit claimed harm by Finlay for allegedly taking and sharing sexually explicit photos and videos of Waterbury without her knowledge or consent, and by Ramasar, Catazaro, Longhitano, NYCB and SAB for allegedly contributing to that harm in various ways.[20] Waterbury's suit led to Finlay's resignation from NYCB and the firing of Ramasar and Catazaro.[21]

In April 2019, an arbitrator ordered Ramasar and Catazaro reinstated; Catazaro decided not to rejoin the company.[22] The defendants disputed key factual allegations made in the complaint as well as their liability under New York law, and all filed motions to dismiss.[23] In September 2020, the trial court (Judge James Edward D'Auguste presiding) dismissed Waterbury's claims against all defendants except Finlay.[24][25]

Waterbury, 2017

In April 2022, Waterbury's claim against New York City Ballet for negligent hiring and retention was reinstated in a 4–1 decision by the New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division.[26][27]

Although there were no public reports of a settlement agreement, in February 2023, Waterbury agreed to withdraw "with prejudice" (i.e., permanently) all claims against NYCB and Finlay "without costs or attorneys' fees to any party."[28][29]

The appeals court ruling in the Waterbury case was cited by more than a dozen other decisions in its first year, including a case against Disney, Miramax and others for negligent hiring and retention of Harvey Weinstein and several New York Child Victims Act suits against religious institutions.[30][31]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Ballerina sues New York City Ballet over alleged sharing of nude photos by member of company: 'My body was violated'". ABC News. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  2. ^ Passy, Charles (17 September 2018). "New York City Ballet Faces Fundraising Test as It Comes Under Scrutiny Over Treatment of Female Dancers". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  3. ^ Will Pavia, New York. "New York ballerina Alexandra Waterbury sues over 'abuse' | World". The Times. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  4. ^ Pozzi, Sandro (6 September 2018). "Alexandra Waterbury: Una exbailarina demanda al ballet de Nueva York por permitir la difusión de sus fotos desnuda | Gente y Famosos". EL PAÍS. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  5. ^ "2 fired dancers, donor added to ballet lawsuit". apnews.com. 18 September 2018. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  6. ^ "Dancer sues New York City Ballet over nude photos". BBC News. 6 September 2018. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  7. ^ "Twenty-year-old ballerina's allegations against New York City Ballet threaten to unleash dance's own #MeToo movement". The Independent. 9 September 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-09-09. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  8. ^ S.M. Walsh (6 September 2018). "Alexandra Waterbury: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  9. ^ "Waterbury v. Chase Finlay et al". Docket List, No. 34 (¶ 2), No. 88, No. 112. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  10. ^ "ALEXANDRA WATERBURY". Wilhelmina. Archived from the original on 2019-01-10. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  11. ^ "ALEXANDRA WATERBURY". City Models. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  12. ^ "ALEXANDRA WATERBURY". Munich Models. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  13. ^ "L'Officie Thailand - Fashion "FALL PREVIEW"". YouTube. 2 July 2016. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  14. ^ "DESIGN SCENE STYLE: Alexandra Waterbury by Isaac Anthony". designscene.net. 6 October 2017. Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  15. ^ "Four of the Best Trends for Spring". lofficielusa.com. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  16. ^ "Lululemon Royal Ballet Collection, Francesca Hayward, of the Royal Ballet in London". The Sweat Edit. 4 October 2018. Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  17. ^ a b "Giselle of Loneliness". www.ballez.org. Retrieved Apr 26, 2021.
  18. ^ Personal biography. A Waterbury
  19. ^ "Waterbury v. Finlay et al". Docket List, No. 34 (¶ 3), No. 142 (¶ 5). Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  20. ^ "Alexandra Waterbury v. New York City Ballet et al". ECF Nos. 1, 3, 77. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  21. ^ "- The Washington Post". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  22. ^ "City Ballet Ordered to Reinstate Male Dancers Fired Over Inappropriate Texts". New York Times. April 19, 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  23. ^ "Alexandra Waterbury v. New York City Ballet et al". Document List. Motions 001–010. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  24. ^ Jacobs, Julia (28 September 2020). "New York City Ballet Dropped from a Woman's Photo-Sharing Lawsuit". The New York Times.
  25. ^ "Alexandra Waterbury v. New York City Ballet et al". New York State Unified Court System. pp. ECF Nos. 192–203. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  26. ^ "Alexandra Waterbury Scores a Win in Nude Photo-Sharing Lawsuit Against NYC Ballet". Jezebel. April 29, 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  27. ^ "Alexandra Waterbury v. New York City Ballet et al". New York State Unified Court System. pp. ECF No. 295. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  28. ^ "Alexandra Waterbury v. New York City Ballet et al. 158220/2018". New York State Unified Court System. pp. ECF Nos. 300, 301. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  29. ^ "with prejudice". Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute Wex. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  30. ^ "Waterbury v. NYC BALLET, INC., 205 AD 3d 154". Google Scholar. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  31. ^ "Sokola v. Weinstein, 2023 NY Slip Op 23047 - NY: Supreme Court 2023". Google Scholar. pp. passim. Retrieved 29 May 2023.