Markus Klinko: The Exclusive Interview
Anyone who’s been reading the steamy news stories this last week about fashion photographer Markus Klinko will understand why he now describes himself as being in a state of “high alert.”
Just to remind you: Last Friday, the New York Post reported that Klinko had filed a $500,000 breach-of-contract suit in New York Supreme Court against Michael Ball, the CEO of the trendy Rock &
Republic fashion company, saying that Ball had subjected him “to a pattern of threats and extortion” since finding out that Klinko had been romantically involved with his ex-fiancee, a model named Fernanda Romero.
It got better: Klinko said in his suit that Ball was extorting him by threatening to make public certain “intimate” emails and sexually explicit photographs that Klinko had exchanged with Romero. The photos included shots showing Klinko in what the Post colorfully called a “sex romp” with two other women.
As we posted last week when the news broke, Klinko’s story was the ultimate tabloid tale. Earlier this week Klinko, who’d seen our post, contacted us to tell us his side of the story. And it turns out that the details—including previously undisclosed business details—are even more interesting than we imagined.
Klinko has a good reason to talk just at the moment: Fashion Week starts tomorrow in New York, and Rock & Republic is planning a big event. “I think everyone will be talking about the suit,” says Klinko.
In fact, a lot of people are already talking about it, in large part thanks to Klinko’s efforts. The story spread from the tabloids to the Internet in a heartbeat. Klinko himself posted his explanation of the story on his own MySpace page. “My goal is to put everything out in the open, to be completely transparent,” he says. Is he simply looking for publicity, as a spokesman for Rock & Republic has charged? “No,” he says. “This is not the kind of publicity I need; in fact it could be quite harmful for me, because I work with celebrities and advertising agencies who might not want to be associated with this story. But I didn’t feel I had any other choice.”
For the past 12 years Klinko has been shooting as part of a team known as Markus Klinko & Indrani, earning a reputation for sleek, sexy celebrity and advertising work for clients like L’Oreal and Nike. 
The team recently shot Mariah Carey for the March cover of Playboy. “That was a huge deal for us, because these types of celebrities go on Playboy very rarely,” says Klinko.
The distinctions between Klinko’s professional life and his private one have always been a little vague. His partner, Indrani, was his girlfriend for eight years. Today, he says, she is “my best friend, my sister, my family, my other half.”
Likewise, it seems, Klinko’s relationship with Mexican-born model Fernanda Romero combined his private life with his professional life. They met in January 2006, he says. And it was through Romero that he met Ball, the CEO and chief designer of Rock & Republic. Ball made his name by producing sexy, pricey jeans and other denim clothing that struck the fancy of Hollywood stars like Hilary Duff, Cameron Diaz, and Sarah Jessica Parker. For a time the label worked on a line designed by Posh Spice, but that business relationship ended in recrimination. Romero knew Ball because she used to date him. Indeed, she was engaged to him
According to Klinko, Ball was looking for someone to shoot his Fall 2007 advertising campaign. Romero arranged an introduction “in the hopes that she would be the model in the campaign,” says Klinko. “I was all for that. I thought she was very beautiful, obviously, because she was my girlfriend. I shot her previously for a Nike campaign and other shoots.”
Ball liked the campaign proposals worked up by Klinko & Indrani, but declined on Romero. “He said she’s not right for Rock & Republic,” says Klinko, “so her plan didn’t work.”
The business arrangements for the campaign were also complicated, according to Klinko. “Ball said, ‘We’ve got so much going on right now—we’re going to launch a cosmetics line, an accessory line, a line of high-fashion clothes, and we don’t have the full budget to pay you for the campaign.’” Klinko says he and Indrani agreed to do the campaign in exchange for a prominent credit line on each image, plus the promise to shoot Rock & Republic’s various future campaigns. In all, Klinko says, he waved $60,000 in shooting fees plus another $10,000 in post-production fees.
Klinko & Indrani shot the campaign at the Los Angeles nightclub Shag on December 14. “Ball was there during the entire shoot, along with about 10 other people from Rock & Republic, says Klinko. “He was looking at the images on the computer monitor, and he loved them.” After the shoot, a video crew interviewed an enthusiastic Ball. You can see the video on YouTube. You can also see a video of the shoot itself here on YouTube.
For several weeks after the shoot, Klinko heard nothing from Ball. “He just disappeared,” he says. “Then his office called with some unreasonable requests. They wanted to see all the film, including all the setups. We just don’t do that. We don’t do it with celebrities; we don’t even do that for big advertising clients like L’Oreal. We give clients our top choices. If the client has issues, we address them and provide another series of images.” To satisfy Rock & Republic, Klinko & Indrani provided “four or five dozen” images in addition to their original selects.
What followed, says Klinko, was a complete shock. “Almost a month later, he called my lawyer and was making these threats,” he says. Specifically, Klinko charges in his suit that Ball threatened to use sexually explicit photographs he had obtained to “publicly embarrass and ruin” Klinko if the photographer didn’t “walk away” from Romero “and any moneys owed.”
About the pictures, Klinko is certainly forthcoming. “We definitely are liberal sexually,” he says, “and this was part of our experimenting. You know, it was fun.” Klinko says that he and Romero discussed doing an art book project with the pictures—“You know, a little Terry Richardson-y,” he explains. “That was the reason I sent her those pictures.” There were many pictures of her, and many pictures of other women, says Klinko. “They were personal pictures, and they would have remained private unless we’d gone ahead with a book.”
How did Ball end up with the photographs? “We can only assume that Fernanda gave them to him,” says Klinko. “She didn’t tell us specifically that she gave them to him. She just said he had them.”
Why would she have given Ball the pictures? In his suit, Klinko charges that Ball had leverage over Romero. He says she was married in 2005 to an “unidentified actor” and that the “fraudulent” union was arranged by Ball “for immigration purposes.”
Klinko says that Ball was protecting himself by marrying Romero off to someone else. “She’d been living with him while he started up Rock & Republic, and she wanted to sue him for a piece of the company, but she had immigration problems,” he says. “He was smart, he got her to marry his friend, and then he had permanent insurance about not getting sued.”
In the end, Klinko says, he felt he had no choice but to make the sordid story public. “It’s going to hurt my reputation,” he says. “Imagine if you’re are booking models for a Proctor & Gamble campaign that I am supposed to shoot, and this guy calls and wants to show you pictures of me having sex with models. You’re going to freak out, right? The whole this is very embarrassing.”
In fact, says Klinko, “it’s a soap opera. I’m living in a soap opera.”
—David Schonauer
WHO CARES???
Posted by: Jim Johnson | February 03, 2007 at 06:45 PM
WHY WOULD FERNANDA CARE ABOUT BEING IN THE CAMPAIGN IF SHE'S BEEN DOING IT SINCE THE BEGINNING?
ALL THIS STUFF IS A LIE.
Posted by: RUSTY | February 08, 2007 at 10:45 PM
uuuummm.
First of all, is this true? Is markus staright?, lol.
I saw this because of his myspace and I thought he was gay.
That girl Fernanda or whatever is crazy if she was with him which I doubt. Also the story doesn't make sense. Markus, date a guy!
Posted by: Laishia Wilkins | February 09, 2007 at 04:19 PM
Markus is an artist, so it's a given that artists are a little eccentric, but Markus is a wonderful artist and a good man, with good intentions, I can vouch for that. It's funny how people think they know the true story from TABLOIDS!!!! It's almost sad.
Posted by: Trisha | February 09, 2007 at 05:33 PM
Markus is my boi...and gay he is not. I just worked with him on a shoot for Blackbook with Kimora Lee Simmons and he was flirting non-stop with the female models...in fact, things got so out of hand that Kimora got mad at one of the models and got her kicked out, demanding that he only pays attention to her. Markus is the ultimate bachelor...
Keep on playing playa.
Posted by: Kool Kid | February 09, 2007 at 05:46 PM
Markus is certaintly not gay.. I can say from my own personal experiences with Markus that he certaintly knows how to satisfy a woman. And anyone to make the claim that he is gay has not seen the way he naturally draws in women with his insane sex drive and flirtacious manorisms.. Someone needs to re-evaluate their claims, and check out the knock out women that have dated Markus.. some quite a bit younger than he is... and as I woman, I know, they arent just staying around for his good looks!!
Posted by: Charlotte | February 09, 2007 at 10:15 PM
Markus is really amazing. He is one of the best photographers I know. Markus is charming, intelligent and down right HOTT! That Fernanda chick is tow up from the floor up. Never have I thought she was good enough for him. Markus needed to take the trash out with that one...
God! Markus! If I were around you now..I would probably take my shirt off. You are defenitely not gay. You are what I would call the perfect straight man. I love you.
Posted by: Nadia | February 09, 2007 at 10:25 PM
Markus is definitely NOT gay! As a matter of fact that model quote from kool kid that got kicked off the set for the shoot with Kimora was me! Markus is definitely a intelligent, charming Great hearted man & he can most definitely get any Hot women he wants!! I ♥ Markus Klinko ^_^
Posted by: JADA CHENG | February 10, 2007 at 03:18 AM
Adding fuel to the fire, Markus is so NOT gay, despite his beyond-the-world aritistic skills, impeccable fashion sense and all-around kindness to everyone he cares about. He's one of the most patient and generous man I know and Ball is a total a$$ for thinking he can get away with screwing people over and over. He definitely bit off more than he can ever chew or swallow with Markus. Everyone who knows him, loves him. We're on your side Markus!! Go yoU!
Posted by: emi | February 10, 2007 at 08:45 AM
Sounds like this Fernanda likes to cause trouble...deport her!
Posted by: Eric | February 10, 2007 at 02:11 PM
In the NY Post:
But the train wreck of the day award has to go to Rock & Republic. They hurled some of the worst cliches in L.A. costume drama down the runway, alternating cheap whores with Tom of Finland biker boys from the set of "Barb Wire." Sad garden-variety polyester pieces that resembled cheap dance recital costumes (or looks straight from the "special occasion" pages of the Frederick's catalog) were absolutely migraine-worthy. Spare the show expense and spend the money on product development instead.
Posted by: Jessica | February 10, 2007 at 03:50 PM
Markus is the hottest photographer around,he oozed sex appeal and coolness with a dash of sophistication something that ball wishes he had or could have in his clothes!!! Im happy someone has the balls to stand up to trash face"ball"
Ps-markus can get any girl he ever wanted "fernanda" should have only felt so lucky to ever have been with him!
Posted by: Angela | February 11, 2007 at 12:11 PM
I too have had the pleasure of meeting markus, can certainly tell you all that my "gaydar" did not go off in his presence.. plus there is no way a man with homo/bi desires can stare me down the way he did (I'm all woman) lol.. but I guess the saying goes, once ppl make up rumors about someone being gay it means they've really gotten ahead of the game.. so I guess these claims are long overdue then, cuz MKI has been dominating the industry for years now and will continue to regardless of this bullshit drama.. i can promise you ;)
Posted by: Munira | February 12, 2007 at 09:21 AM
I met Markus in 2004 at a casting at the Chateau Marmont. Then we did the sexiest shoot together. Fierce make up, amazing clothes, and of course tons of Champagne!! We shot for 2 nights... all night long. I know for a fact that Markus is not gay. The connection we had while the camera was clicking away was very intense! Fernanda messed up the best thing ever.....
Posted by: Stephanie | February 12, 2007 at 09:01 PM
I've worked with Markus for a while now and I can say I know him well. Markus is passionate, charismatic, intense, funny, and one of the most caring people I know. He's a natural-born charmer and beautiful women flock to him whether he likes it or not. He is most certainly straight. What a silly thing to question, what's the point? Markus is also a very trusting person, which can unfortunately lead to getting involved with the wrong people. Clearly that is the case here. But hey, we can't choose who we fall for.
Posted by: Miss Karin | February 13, 2007 at 05:13 PM
So the whole thing about Markus being gay is NOT true. He's a great photographer and his work should speak for his character. Great and Amazing! I only know this because I've been at shoots with him. And I agree with Miss Karin that...
"Markus is also a very trusting person, which can unfortunately lead to getting involved with the wrong people. Clearly that is the case here. But hey, we can't choose who we fall for."
Well put!
Posted by: Tracy | February 13, 2007 at 05:23 PM
Wow, people are f***ed up. I've been working for Markus since August and gay is the last thing he could be. Fernanda was sooooo lucky to have him, and she messed it up. He was soooo good to her, he even gave her her own personal assistant (ME) so she wouldn't have to worry about anything. I got to see both sides of their relationship, seeing as how I spent so much time with them seperately. In the long run, Markus will continue to be an an amazing photographer highly recognized as someone who continues to produce iconic images, while Fernanda will probably continue to use people to get ahead, because she's to mediocre to make it happen herself.
Posted by: kristen | February 13, 2007 at 05:27 PM
Oh Fernanda, are you in for one hell of a shock sweetie.. Guess what or should I say who Markus was doing when you were filming in Mexico.. Poor Girl.. Karma is a B*tch!!
Posted by: Charlotte | February 15, 2007 at 07:14 PM
Ummm I dont Know if this this Fernanada cares if Markus did someone or not. He's ugly, she's not. He's probably not gay, but he's just plain ugly.
Posted by: photogirl | March 23, 2007 at 02:23 AM
hahahaha. I was reading the comments and it's just funny. All these people supporting Markus. Ok here's the question. Where you guys jealous he liked another girl and not you. Sounds to me like this assistants, models and all are just jealous. What was this perv trying to do with her anyway. It makes me sick, he's like freacking 60. He is amazing as a photographer though.
Posted by: ha losers | March 23, 2007 at 02:28 AM
He might be in love with the jean guy Michael!
It seems like it.Dude he is HOTTTTT!! and you are NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Volta | March 27, 2007 at 12:54 PM
Poor man I feel bad for him but honestly I don't believe Fernanda was with him look at him and look at her?!
it's obvious...
Posted by: Odette | March 27, 2007 at 01:14 PM
I have never met Markus, but his high-pitched voice and his strong german accent make him come off as a fag. Interesting that all those hot women fall for him. All I know about him is that he stayed in a rented house in the Hollywood Hills last year and has trashed the place. He did not pay all his rent and left his landlord with a 25 K bill that remained unpaid until this date.
Now that does not paint a good picture of this man. Professionally he might be good, but personally he is obviously not.
Michael Ball on the other side is a good-looking guy, who could probabely have any woman and not the jilted desperate lover he is made into. Markus Klinko looks more like the villain in a third rate horror movie, kind a like Klaus Kinski. But one should never judge by appearance, of course.
I think there is way more to the story than what is in Markus's law suit. It is all about money and publicity.
Things just do not add up.
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