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Father of unmasked Belle de Jour admits using prostitutes
Peter Dominiczak17 Nov 2009
The father of call girl Belle de Jour today revealed that he has used more than 150 prostitutes and that he introduced his daughter to many of them.
Paul Magnanti, who lives in America, said he had no idea that his 34-year-old daughter Dr Brooke Magnanti had been unmasked as the best-selling author and former prostitute Belle de Jour.
Mr Magnanti, 61, admitted that after his marriage ended in 1991 he became addicted to using prostitutes and said allowing his daughter to meet many of them when she was in her twenties may have shown her their “human face”.
His daughter kept her identity secret for six years while writing a blog about her life which led to a book, The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl, and a TV series starring Billie Piper.
Dr Magnanti, who is now a researcher at St Michael's Hospital in Bristol, says she does not regret working as a £300-an-hour escort for a London agency when she was an impoverished PhD student in 2003.
Mr Magnanti, who became addicted to drugs including crack cocaine because of his relationships with prostitutes, said he last spoke to his daughter three years ago, when she visited him in Holiday in Florida. He said: “I have been with over 150 prostitutes. Of those, four or five were deep emotional relationships, and Brooke met those women. She saw that prostitutes were human.
“Brooke did not approve of me seeing the prostitutes, not because they were selling their bodies but because of their drug use. Brooke said some harsh things that she hoped would help me — but which had the opposite effect.”
The former plumber said he was proud of his daughter, but added: “I am glad that she is no longer a prostitute. In my experience prostitution is wrong and corrupts people. But I will not condemn her for doing what she had to do to pay for her education.”
Mr Magnanti said Brooke was “deeply affected” when his 24-year marriage to his wife Susan ended. Dr Magnanti says her mother, who also lives in America, has been “fully supportive”.
Meanwhile, a photo has been released of Dr Magnanti recreating the Calendar Girls “iced buns” pose in a charity event for Breakthough Breast Cancer.
Reader views (19)
Dad of the year...
- Jules_London, london, 17/11/2009 18:35
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Paul B. Don't knock the ugly guy. Many women love ugly guys particularly if they are self-deprecating and don't care about how they look beause they are otherwise confident, successful and funny. Even more surprisingly, a few of my female friends actually like ugly guys, full stop, regardless of how unfunny or poor they are! Takes all sorts I guess
- Susan Barber, Fulham, London, 17/11/2009 17:47
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Paul B. I am that fat old man you are characterising. Many prostitutes in this position simply say no. I should know - I've been rejected by a prostitute a few times (I'm getting on a bit, fairly overweight, don't have much of my own hair - or teeth for that matter)!. While it doesn't do much for my self esteem, they seem to be able to make choice, take it from me! I think Jonathan Charles is right; he NEVER said that all prostitutes love their job, that would be ridiculous; only that many women he knows have told him that they wouldn't mind doing that work! THAT is a fact, sorry if it doesn't fit in with your comfortable view about women.
- Reuben Ivanovic, New York, New York, 17/11/2009 17:41
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So, she comes over to England, sleeps with lots of people, making them happy, pays for her own education and now is working in research into childhood Lukemia.
This is bad right??
- Richard, London, 17/11/2009 16:57
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All this rubbish being talked about women 'losing more' than they get in cash terms. How would you know, Paul B, a man. How can you generalise? Some women are greedy for money and will do anything. They may in fact love their jobs. Controversial I know, but we are not talking about slave-trafficking here.
- Caroline Moore, London, 17/11/2009 16:48
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- Jonathan Charles, Dublin
Yes, some woman may like the sex they have as an escort. But these woman don't hand pick the men they end up sleeping with and half the time the fat ugly bloke they end up with is not the man who they would normally choose to have casual sex with. So Jonathan I'm not making a blanket assumption, you seem to be to be doing that… All these girls love being a prostitute! Sure they do John!
- Paul B, London, 17/11/2009 16:46
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Paul B. You are making an assumption that every woman 'loses a lot more' than the £300 she may make per transaction. Indeed, for many women this would be true. They may feel guilty, or used, or empty. In which case, prostitution is not a good idea for them. However, I personally know other women who are quite relaxed about casual sex, and think that if they get paid for it, so much the better. Many women love casual sex, in fact; they would laugh at your suggestion that they are losing a lot more. The key point here is that everyone is different. You can't make blanket assumptions.
- Jonathan Charles, Dublin, 17/11/2009 15:35
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I had a bar job at university and during the summer break worked as a temp in an office. If people choose to work as prostitutes for the quick cash it can bring that's up to them... but don't tell be there aren’t other ways to get money. You may make £300 an hour as an escort but you lose a lot more and no amount of money can make up for that...
- Paul B, London, 17/11/2009 14:04
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As long as a girl is not forced into prostitution against her will, I don't see what the problem is - nor why it matters to the rest of us: it was a straight forward open business transaction. Unlike the girls her father went to, who were clearly funding a drug habit, she has used it in a perfectly logical way to improve her life. In fact, it has a lot more integrity than most casual 'relationships' where one party draws in another or takes advantage of them purely to get sex for free.
- Roz, France, 17/11/2009 13:26
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I love all the reasons that they choose this life. Lack for funds, etc. but then she choose England to ply her trade, maybe because in the U. S. she would have served time. Of course, in NV it is legal. Keep her...we have enough ho's in the U.S.
- B. J. O'Toole, USA, 17/11/2009 13:10
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Great Family! - her father confesses to hookers to satisfying his sexual desires, the daughter sees is as the ONLY way to fund her further studies - a hooker, still single, the world knows her hourly rate - a traditional family business if you ask me!
- Ancient Wisdom, London, England, 17/11/2009 12:51
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The sooner its legalised the sooner it stops becoming headlines,its also another source of income for the government and I'm sure it could be "policed" properly ,there must be plenty of polititions who have used this service and would vote for it in a referendum.
- Pete Ex Londoner, Hartlepool , Cleveland, 17/11/2009 11:49
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This story in short: bright girl goes on the game, writes about it, admits it, father justifies it by his own lack of self respect. They all live apparently happy and wealthy ever after.
Surely I'm not the only person who stares blankly at this story and thinks "so what" ? Are we supposed to feel outraged or shocked? I only feel overwhelming apathy I'm afraid.
- Richard, London UK, 17/11/2009 11:30
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She should have never taken up this line of work as she obviously is riddled with guilt and feels the need to tell everyone. Not very professional that is for sure.
- Brian Fast, Sydney Australia, 17/11/2009 11:20
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The apple didn't fall far from the tree then .........
- Diane, Romania, 17/11/2009 11:01
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So what? Prostitution is not something I would not choose to do. I don't agree with the profession. However I do think if she wants to live her life that way and she is happy and safe, it's nobody's business. As is the 'revelation' that her father used prostitutes.
- Jc, London, 17/11/2009 10:31
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Why do people feel the need to talk about these private travails in public? Then again, why do I feel the need to READ about them....and comment on them?!
- Jon Charles, London, 17/11/2009 10:21
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Looks like a classy girl!
- Bob, The Drill, 17/11/2009 10:18
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Sounds like a wonderfully functional family they have there.
- Bob, Cheam, 17/11/2009 09:24
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