Lisa Gastineau

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Lisa Gastineau is the ex-wife of NFL legend Mark Gastineau and mother of model and socialite Brittny Gastineau, her co-star in the E! reality show The Gastineau Girls.

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[edit] College

Lisa attended the University of Alabama where she was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority.

[edit] Marriage

She was married to NFL legend Mark Gastineau for ten years. The couple split after Lisa walked in on her husband having an affair with actress Brigitte Nielsen. Lisa and Mark immediately began filing papers for divorce. The split was so painful, that the couple's daughter, Brittny, was sent away to live with Lisa's parents.

During Mark's successful run as the leader of the Jets' defensive line, nicknamed the "New York Sack Exchange," he became the first player in NFL history to receive a $1 million plus annual salary in 1983. For the following two seasons, Mark earned a reported $3 million before retiring. During his football days, he signed endorsement deals with Dr. Scholl's arch inserts and Gatorade sports drink. At the time of his divorce, his estimated net worth was $15 million.

Lisa, whom he dated since he was 19, ended up with a reported $7.5 million cash settlement, as well as the couple's lavish Alabama mansion. Lisa sold the house for $750,000 and packed up her belongings, moving to the Upper East Side of New York City.

[edit] New York

Lisa enjoyed her celebrity status in New York and turned the attention into becoming New York's most noticeable socialite. During the 1990s, Lisa was linked to some of Hollywood's most powerful men, including Sylvester Stallone, George Clooney, Bulldog (radio) and Billy Idol. She also dated infamous mobster John Gotti, remaining loyal to him during his prison sentence and death.

[edit] Business ventures

Lisa invested a great deal of her divorce settlement into her friend Donna Karan's newest business venture, DKNY, a high-end casual wear line that offered a change from her high end couture. The brand was originally carried in Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus, but after demand increased, the pair opened a Madison Avenue boutique. The success earned Lisa a reported $25 million, to date still earning an estimated $3 million a year.

[edit] "Gastineau Girls"

When daughter Brittny returned home, she quickly began working as a model appearing in Stuff magazine and on runways for designer Anne Bowen. Her popularity with designers turned into an E! Reality TV Series. "Gastineau Girls" aired on E! in February 2005 and was an enormous success, earning the highest ratings in the channel's history. The girls gained a cult following. The show documented their lavish lifestyle, including celebrity fitness trainers, private meetings with diamond brokers and countless five-star vacations.

The show was released on DVD on January 31, 2006, to coincide with the airing of the second season of "Gastineau Girls". During the filming, the girls signed endorsement deals with AOL and T-Mobile. It again focused on the girls high-profile life, with celebrity guests including Donald Trump and Kelly Ripa.


[edit] References

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