A small but beloved arts magazine scored a coup by landing A-list Hollywood star Billy Crudup as its cover star.
But when the mag’s editor died suddenly, it set off a bizarre and ugly battle over the “Morning Show” star’s interview and photoshoot.
Rebeca Herrero founded Art Bodega in 2013 and published more than 100 issues before she shockingly passed away last month at 49.
We’re told that landing Crudup was “a big deal” for Herrero, whose previous big gets were local New York and Palm Beach celebs like cosmetics guru Peter Thomas Roth and “Sex and the City” author Candace Bushnell.
So Herrero’s society flack pal, Anna Rothschild — who had been set to put together a bash for the issue when it came out — tells us that “a few friends came together simply to try to finish the issue she had spent the past six months working on and was so excited about.”
Crudup had recently joined the board of the Classical Theatre of Harlem and had appeared on the cover to gain support for the nonprofit off-Broadway theater group.
Rothschild got in touch with the theater group about the party she was already planning.
It seems that that’s when things went off the rails.
CTH says it had an agreement with Herrero that “the event was… to raise funds for an NYC arts charity, aligning with both CTH’s mission and Art Bodega’s commitment to supporting the arts,” a spokesperson for CTH told Page Six.
But that was news to Rothschild, and Rothschild told us that the org’s artistic director, Ty Jones, went ballistic when she told him that they weren’t expecting to be collecting money at the bash.
“You don’t sell tickets to a cover party,” Rothschild told us, “I was trying to be a kind friend to honor Rebecca and he threatened to sue me.”
But a rep for CTH told us that “any claims that demands were made, or that anyone, ‘went ballistic,’ are completely false. No funds were ever demanded from Art Bodega.”
Meanwhile, Jones and the theater decided that the magazine couldn’t publish the Crudup interview.
In an email seen by Page Six, Jones threatened to have the theater’s lawyers issue a cease and desist, writing: “I say all of this gently – no drama at all. Simply put, Billy’s name, image and likeness from the shoot/interview must not be used.”
“The tragic events over the last couple of weeks are felt over here and I am sure are still very raw for many. We sincerely wish everyone well,” he added.
CTH’s spokesperson later stressed, “it was sincerely a pleasure to work with Rebeca… She had a genuine passion for the arts and a deep connection to Harlem, and it feels disheartening – even dishonorable to her legacy – that things have unfolded in this way.”
They added the “fundamental reason” they stepped away is because “after Rebeca’s death, no leadership or ownership contact was provided despite requests, and we received direct confirmation that key editorial materials were incomplete and that critical access to files and planning documents was unavailable. Given these circumstances, we had no confidence that the event or the magazine issue could be completed in a way that aligned with its original intentions or provided the clarity and stability necessary for participation.”
Herrero’s estranged husband, Tony Dodds, who was her “close ally and friend,” now owns Art Bodega.
Dodds has not seen the Crudup interview, but told us, “from what I understand, to the best of my knowledge, as the new owner, we have full rights to the Billy Crudup photographs.”
Dodds added he’s in the process of hiring a new webmaster to create a new website to publish her final issue since they’re unable to access her computer.
“It’s a difficult moment in our family’s life right now. There’s this pressure to put out this magazine that she wanted, because it was very important to her,” he said.
In the meantime, CTH is hosting its annual holiday concert at Ginny’s Supper Club at Red Rooster Harlem on Dec. 15.
A rep for Crudup did not comment.
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