Fabian Basabe (b.
March 30,
1978) is a
socialite and the son of an
Ecuadoran former small business owner. He gained notoriety when he was photographed dancing with
President Bush's daughter Barbara at a
New York party, and appeared on the
E! network's
reality series Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive, where he was perceived as being arrogant and rude, to the dislike of many viewers.
Since
8 January 2005 he has been married to
Martina Borgomanero, the heiress to the
La Perla line of
lingerie.
According to
2004 reports in the
New York Observer, Basabe has falsely claimed his father is a vastly wealthy telecommunications magnate in an attempt to insinuate himself into New York Society. His father is alleged to have gone bankrupt and been convicted of tax fraud. Fabian Basabe, Sr. has been sued by his numerous creditors, including
American Express. Basabe has also falsely claimed that he and his father are members of the
Sovereign Military Order of Malta (the elite group of Catholic laypersons.) According to the
Chicago Tribune and
Newsday.com, Basabe currently has three active
arrest warrants in the state of
California. He has been described as the "Male
Paris Hilton" for his ability to generate press and publicity.
As reported in the
New York Post, Basabe drew widespread criticism from a
July 7,
2005 incident in which he yelled racist epithets at African American bouncers at the Star Room, a
Southampton, New York nightclub after having been asked to leave for drunkenness and disorderly conduct. His rant included the following: “I want my navy blue
Prada! I speak six f*cking languages, I have
diplomatic immunity . . . Do you understand me,
Negros? You f*cking Negros!”
(from wikepedia)