"In 1980 at the Leo Castelli art gallery, Julian, 30, and already a famous artist, met fashion designer Jacqueline Beaurang. They married. They made three children. In 1986, painter/sculptor Julian met Elite model Olatz Lopez Garmendia in a restaurant. They made two children. He got divorced. He married Olatz. Comes now 2008. Next up, a Palestinian author named Rula Jebreal, with whom he is supposedly working on a movie - aside from whatever else he is working with her. How great her filmmaking is, who knows? How great her face is, I know. Gorgeous.
I now sidestep. Julian, a major artist, also is a major director. Last year his "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" won wall-to-wall awards. And you know about his "Chupi," right? That's the name he dubbed the pink apartment building he built downtown with its $20 million-plus price tags, which had Richard Gere take a place and Bono take a look. Translation: Besides priceless art this man has very major serious heavy-duty money.
Back to my saga. An expert at daubing his paintbrush, Schnabel immediately took up with this lady. It's been on for months. Friends know about it. Olatz heard about it. Things remained relatively quiet until Julian ensconced the babe in Palazzo Chupi. Maybe a floor away from the missus. He sweet-talked angry Olatz into playing nice. He said he'd be good to her. He did not, not, speak reconciliation.
Born in Spain, Olatz has some difficulty with our language. She does, however, speak dollars. She immediately hired divorce bomber Norman Sheresky, who, not given to understatement, labels Olatz "furious . . . outraged" . . . also "pissed." He says she signed a prenup light years ago in Long Island. Being Norman Sheresky, he naturally calls it "a rush job, which she didn't understand because she's not good at English."
Okayyyy. So it's going to be hotshot lawyers at 30 paces. Schnabel just hired Peter Bronstein.
I last saw Olatz and Julian at a 2007 black-tie ceremony in Cipriani. Olatz was stunning in spike heels and a dress so short she couldn't have bent down if she dropped something. He wore pajamas! I wondered how someone so breathtakingly beautiful could be with him - same thought I had seeing Padma Lakshmi with that husband she once had, Salman Rushdie. One wonders what these guys have. They both look like unmade beds."