Instasamka accuses stylist Ovechkin of theft
The singer says she will contact law enforcement about the alleged financial misconduct.
Instasamka accused stylist Nikolai Ovechkin of stealing money and threatened legal action. She published her statement on her personal Telegram channel.
Stylist Nikolai Ovechkin was born in the village of Kirchizh (Birilyussky District, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia). He has worked with Svetlana Loboda, Diana Arbenina, Anna Asti, Zivert, and other performers.
The popular singer accuses Ovechkin of allegedly stealing three million rubles (approximately $30,000 at current rates), which were intended to pay for items and staff services while preparing for a shoot.
«He took this money for purchases and work expenses, but decided to appropriate it. He spent the money we gave him on his own purposes, without spending a single ruble from our work funds on producing the video we entrusted to him. He also brought people onto this video whom we didn’t even know about and whose participation we hadn’t approved, so they would do all the work and creative for him, and he promised them that we would pay all their expenses (we paid him for everything; he just didn’t pass that money on to the people who worked)», — writes Darya Zoteeva [the singer’s real name].
According to Instasamka, the people who worked on the video shoot had to pay for consumables themselves. Individual outlays ranged from 5,000 to 200,000 rubles (approximately $50 to $2,000 at current rates).
According to Instasamka, a yearly contract with the stylist costs 18 million rubles (approximately $180,000 at current rates) excluding expenses.
«We are drafting a collective complaint of fraud to law enforcement; I am already talking with several victims», — the singer added, announcing a video about this story.
Ovechkin discussed his background and work during an interview with Ksenia Sobchak.
Ovechkin himself commented to the Bezfil’trov (No Filters) Telegram channel:
«Are we offended by Darya’s team or her team? Of course not, because when you choose a principal, you accept their rules of the game. We tried to reach an agreement, but there was no dialogue. Therefore we handed this story over to the lawyers — into the legal field — and in this field we are ready to bear responsibility if guilt is proven», — the stylist said.
He refused to provide further comment, citing a non-disclosure agreement. Instasamka, however, replied that he «hadn’t read the contract»:
«Right now Nikolai is trying to write everything off to some special “rules of the game,” even though he didn’t even read our contract (he himself told us that on a call). What rules are you talking about? It seem [seems] to me it’s simple: I give you money, and you bring me the items and the receipts for them — or at least don’t [deceive] me at every stage of assembling the project. Or am I not getting something?», — writes the singer.
Instasamka also attaches to her posts a fragment of Basta’s show «Question Point-Blank» (talk show), where Zivert speaks with her stylist and tries to find out where the clothing budget went. It is presumably about Nikolai Ovechkin — he previously dressed the singer.
To Krasnoyarsk residents far from the world of fashion, stylist Ovechkin is known first and foremost for his scathing remark about local women’s style — specifically, their bangs.
«I have a brief statement. You know that my [most] favorite city on the planet is Krasnoyarsk; it’s my homeland. But there is a cultural capital, a northern capital, there is, for example, the capital of Tatarstan. And there is the capital of ***** [very badly] cut bangs. And that is Krasnoyarsk. And, oddly enough, they are all at the airport», — he said.
In July the stylist gave an interview to Ksenia Sobchak, in which he spoke about his childhood in Krasnoyarsk Krai and his lack of affection for his hometown.
