Italian director claims lover dumped him to steal UWS condo

A 73-year-old Italian theater director has sued a 27-year-old Manhattan dancer for allegedly seducing him into buying her an Upper West Side apartment. Citing court papers filed yesterday in Manhattan Supreme Court, the New York Daily News reported that Antonio Calenda is alleging Natasha Diamond-Walker took advantage of an interest-free loan he provided her to buy a $775,000 Condominium On West End Avenue, only for her to disappear immediately upon closing on the unit.

Calenda admits that at the start of their affair last year, he bought her lavish gifts — but the apartment was not one of them. Instead, Diamond-Walker asked for help in paying for the apartment, and Calenda and her signed an agreement for a loan which helped her close on the condo last September. She suddenly ended the relationship months later and said she would never repay Calenda for the apartment, which she considered a gift.

Diamond-Walker is not on the hook for any payments until December 2018, but as part of the suit Calenda has withdrawn the interest-free offer. He now wants the courts to declare the loan a mortgage, which she would have to repay for $800,000, and an additional $1 million in damages.

The pair met working together in Italy on “Cercando Picasso,” a show that translates in English to “Looking for Picasso.” [NYDN]