A credit-card scam has hit Jennifer Aniston, Liv Tyler, Anne Hathaway and some of Hollywood’s other leading ladies, all apparently clients of an upscale Beverly Hills beauty salon where authorities say the owner was bilking them of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The U.S. Secret Service arrested Maria Gabriela Perez, owner of the upmarket Chez Gabriela Studio, on fraud charges Wednesday, as first reported by TMZ. The 51-year old, who opened her salon in 1986, was expected to appear in court later Wednesday or Thursday morning.
Perhaps ironically, Perez states on her website that “unlike other beauty care providers, Gabriela dedicates a great deal of time to each appointment, never rushing with any of her clients. She personally cares for each one of them, whether they are celebrities or not.”
Wonder if Cher, as she states on a testimonial on the site, still thinks "Gabriela is my favorite ass-kicking facialist, she is the Michelangelo of skin care!”
Regardless, several celebrities, like Aniston, Hathaway, Tyler, and Cher were named in an affidavit filed by the government — as were Melanie Griffith and “Underworld” leading man Scott Speedman. Griffith, according to the filing, has agreed to “cooperate with an investigation.”
Perez, whose self proclaimed “temple of beauty” salon is seemingly frequent stop for a number of youth-seeking celebs, including several not named in the court filing like Penelope Cruz, Brad Pitt, Halle Berry, Angelina Jolie and surprisingly Val Kilmer, is accused of bilking Aniston and others of hundreds of thousands in false charges over a two year period.
Liv Tyler, actress and daughter of Aerosmith lead singer and “American Idol’s” new judge Steven Tyler, was falsely charged over $214,000 on two of her cards by the esthetician.
An arrest was made," a Secret Service spokesperson confirmed for TheWrap, "but we cannot comment on any ongoing investigation."
