Widow wins US matchmaker lawsuit

Anne Majerik, 60, paid Beverly Hills matchmaker Orly Hadida $125,000 (£67,000) to meet affluent men who wanted monogamous relationships.

But she claimed Ms Hadida failed to deliver on her promise by only introducing her to inappropriate men.

A Los Angeles Superior Court jury ruled in Ms Majerik's favour. Ms Hadida's lawyer said she planned to appeal.

Israeli-born Ms Hadida, who describes her business as a "high end matchmaking service", claims she caters for "elite, famous and wealthy people" around the world.

But Ms Majerik, who was widowed in 1999, said she was not introduced to the wealthy and cultured men she was promised.

In one example outlined in the case, Ms Majerik claimed she was sent on a date with an "international banker" who turned out to be "an interpreter that worked in a bank".

'Positive feedback'

The jury ruled in favour of Ms Majerik after Ms Hadida had tried to countersue, alleging her client was a "serial matchmaker suer".

She claimed Ms Majerik became her client after she helped her during a separate lawsuit against another dating agency.

Ms Hadida added that Ms Majerik gave enthusiastic feedback about nearly every man she met through her service.

Jurors said they had tried to reach a balance between conflicting desires.

"We wanted to punish the defendant, but in the amount we wanted to punish the defendant, we didn't want to reward the plaintiff," said jury foreman Christie Troutt.

"They were both wrong."

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Orly the Matchmaker
Superior Court of California - Los Angeles
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