US-based supermodel Luciana Curtis, along with her husband Henrique Gendre and their 11-year-old child, were kidnapped at gunpoint in Brazil, held hostage for 12 hours, and later freed. The incident occurred on Wednesday night when the family was ambushed by armed criminals after leaving a restaurant in Sao Paulo.
The 47-year-old model, originally from Brazil, was forced into their own car at gunpoint and driven to a remote wooden shack in Brasilandia. The shack, which had minimal furnishings—just a mattress, a sink, and a toilet—served as their place of captivity for the night.
“The armed criminals approached the victims outside a restaurant and took them captive,” said the police in a statement, as reported by the New York Post.
While being held, the gang transferred money from the couple’s bank accounts, officials reported. However, early Thursday morning, the family was released after the criminals fled the scene.
The family’s disappearance raised concern when their eldest child, who stayed home, alerted relatives about their absence. The relatives then notified the police. “During the search by specialist police teams, the gang abandoned the family and fled,” said the police.
Local residents helped the trio, cutting them free and ensuring their safety. “The family has been released and they are safe and well,” a spokesperson for Curtis confirmed.
Luciana Curtis is a well-known Brazilian model who won the Supermodel of the World Brazil final in 1993. She has graced the covers of major magazines like Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan and modeled for prominent brands such as Harrods, H&M, and Victoria’s Secret.
