Who is Luciana Curtis? Victoria's Secret model and daughter of tycoon abducted and held hostage in a shack

Model Luciana Curtis, her husband, and their youngest kid were recently kidnapped at gunpoint in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It happened on November 27, while leaving a restaurant in the city. According to a local Sao Paulo newspaper, Gazeta, following the incident, they were held captive for 12 hours.

The same Gazeta article claimed that they were forced into their car by the kidnappers, who then took them to a rural area in Brasilândia, which is in the northern region of São Paulo. The kidnappers then freed them after 12 hours in the Parada de Taipas region and ran away as police showed up.

Luciana Curtis, who was born in Sao Paulo, is the daughter of British businessman Malcolm Leo Curtis. Due to her job, she takes turns living in three cities- New York, São Paulo, and London.

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Luciana Curtis is a famous Brazilian model

Luciana Curtis was born on December 12, 1976, to an English father and a Brazilian mother in São Paulo. She started her career in modeling at the age of 14. She is currently married to photographer Henrique Gendre, with whom he shares two kids.

She started garnering attention after she won the final of the Brazilian Supermodel of the World competition in 1993. While she was at a shopping mall, a scout gave her an invitation to the tournament. Several magazines then started featuring her on their covers after she reached the top four position.

In addition to her two-year contract with Revlon, she has also advertised for brands like Victoria's Secret, L'Oréal, Bebe, H&M, Arden B., Charlie Miller, Bergdorf Goodman, CoverGirl, Harrods, and Coccinelle. Furthermore, numerous prestigious fashion magazines worldwide have featured the 47-year-old on their covers. She has been on the covers of Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan magazines as well.

Alongside Beyonce, she also participated in the global promotion of L'Oreal's "True Match" foundation and powder. She has also worked for the same cosmetics giant along with the actress Noemie Lenoir.

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More about the kidnapping as Luciana Curtis and her family are “safe and well” now

As per the Daily Beast’s report from November 29, according to the images captured by Brazilian journalists, the cabin where Luciana Curtis and her family were taken only contained a mattress, toilet, and sink.

On the other hand, as per the NY Post’s report from the same day, the local police authorities said that:

“The armed criminals approached the victims outside a restaurant and took them captive… During the search by specialist police teams, the gang abandoned the family and fled..”

According to reports, the gang then requested that Curtis and Gendre move funds from their bank accounts to the kidnappers’ accounts. Additionally, they took the couple's over $33,000 GWM Haval car.

As per the same Gazeta report, after being released, the three fled the area and pleaded for assistance from the locals. They were then taken to the police. After the detectives from the Anti-Kidnapping Division spoke to them at the police station, an investigation was launched. Additionally, the CCTV footage surrounding the restaurant where the group was kidnapped has been examined.

The police searched the hideouts although the kidnappers had already left the area. According to the same NY Post report, the three "presented a very shaken emotional state," while a model's representative informed the local media:

“The family has been released and they are safe and well.”

On the other hand, the stolen money has not been recovered, and the authorities have not yet disclosed the details of the suspects' identities. They also haven’t revealed if the victims had any injuries.

Law authorities reportedly later found the car's burned remnants. At the time of this article's publishing, neither Luciana Curtis nor her husband have commented on the experience.