Model daughter of British businessman is held hostage after being abducted along with her husband and 11-year-old child outside a restaurant in Brazil

The model daughter of a British businessman is recovering after a terrifying kidnap ordeal in Brazil.

Luciana Curtis, a well-known model who has collaborated with famous names like Beyonce and has graced the covers of prestigious magazines such as Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan, was reportedly kidnapped along with her husband, Henrique Gendre, a photographer, and their 11-year-old child. The incident took place as they were leaving a restaurant in Sao Paulo.

The armed robbers that ambushed them held them for around 12 hours and reportedly stole their car and took money from their bank accounts before releasing them yesterday.

Local reports said they were kept overnight in a wooden shack in Brasilandia, one of Sao Paulo’s 96 districts, with just a mattress, toilet and sink after being driven to the cramped hideaway in the family car by their captors.

Their terrifying ordeal began on Wednesday night as they left an eatery in the upmarket area of Alto do Lapa.

The alarm is said to have been raised on Thursday morning after the kidnapped couple’s eldest child discovered the rest of her family had not returned home and alerted a relative who called police.

Luciana and her husband and her youngest child were released by their captors as the police hunt for them began and they sought help from locals before being taken to safety.

Luciana Curtis, the model daughter of a British businessman is recovering after a terrifying kidnap ordeal in Brazil that also involved her husband and her 11-year-old child

Luciana pictured with her husband and children

Luciana pictured with her husband and children

The model and her family were being held up in a shack (pictured)

The model and her family were being held up in a shack (pictured) 

The criminals that took them hostage stole their car before abandoning the hideaway they had kept them in and are understood to have transferred money from the couple’s bank accounts to their own during the terrifying ordeal.

A spokesman for Luciana, 53, confirmed the kidnap to local press, adding: ‘The family has been released and they are safe and well.’

A specialist police anti-kidnap unit is investigating and officers have been analysing CCTV footage around the unnamed restaurant where the gang struck, which is located on an avenue identified locally as Avenida Pio XI.

The shack pretty brunette Luciana and her family were taken to has already been located by detectives and pictured in Brazilian press.

Police said in a statement: ‘The armed criminals approached the victims outside a restaurant and took them captive.

‘During the search by specialist police teams, the gang abandoned the family and fled.’

Ford Models beauty Luciana Curtis was born in Sao Paulo to British businessman father Malcolm Leo Curtis and Brazilian teacher mum Katia Maria Furtado de Mendonca Curtis.

Her main residence is in New York although she spent several years living in London.

Luciana and her family were rescued by cops

Luciana and her family were rescued by cops 

Luciana Curtis pictured with her husband Henrqiue Gendre

Luciana Curtis pictured with her husband Henrqiue Gendre 

A spokesperson for Luciana confirmed the abduction to local media

A spokesperson for Luciana confirmed the abduction to local media 

She won the Brazilian final of Supermodel of the World in 1993 after receiving an invite to become a model during a visit to a shopping centre as a teenager and in the world final placed in the top four.

She went on to become the cover of a string of fashion magazines including Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Marie Claire and Nova and has done ads for the likes of Arden B, Harrods, H&M and Victoria’s Secret.

Luciana, who has 22,000 Instagram followers, earned an estimated million dollars to star in Revlon campaigns in 2001 alongside three other models.

Shortly afterwards she took part in the worldwide campaign for L’Oreal’s ‘True Match’ powder and foundation with Beyonce.

She appeared earlier this year alongside other models on the front cover of ELLE Brazil, which said in a write-up accompanying the photo: ‘The cover of ELLE Brasil #Volume16 is an ode to Brazilian supermodels who, from the late 1990s to the present day, have been taking the profession abroad, appearing on catwalks for major brands and becoming muses of legendary stylists and established photographers.’

Luciana and her husband have yet to make any official comment about their ordeal.

You May Also Like
Trump directs ICE to track down 'hundreds of thousands' of migrant children who came to US without their parents

Trump orders ICE to find ‘thousands’ of migrant children who arrived in the US unaccompanied

Immigration enforcement officers have been directed to track down and deport migrant…
Elizabeth Holmes: Theranos founder's conviction upheld by US appeals court

US appeals court confirms Elizabeth Holmes’ conviction for Theranos founder

SAN FRANCISCO — A U.S. appeals court has upheld the conviction of…
Clint Hill, Secret Service agent who leaped onto JFK's car after the president was shot, dies at 93

Clint Hill, Secret Service agent who jumped onto JFK’s car following his shooting, passes away at the age of 93

Clint Hill, the Secret Service agent who jumped onto the back of…
Joy Reid weeps as she breaks silence on MSNBC firing in first interview

Joy Reid gets emotional as she speaks out about MSNBC firing in her first interview

Joy Reid wept as she broke her silence after being fired from…
Widower Kris Owen loses $80K to gold bar scam; suspect Abdul Afan Mohammed flees country after FBI sets up sting operation

Widowed man Kris Owen is scammed out of $80,000 in a gold bar scheme; suspect Abdul Afan Mohammed runs away from the country following an FBI sting operation.

CHICAGO (WLS) — Gold has been an investment and form of payment…
The Department of Labor Is Funding A Biden DEI Program To Recruit Woke Teachers

The Department of Labor is Supporting a Biden Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Program to Hire Progressive Teachers

Last Updated on February 24, 2025 The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)…
'It Melted Down': Top Biden Advisor Says Democrat Party 'Lost Its Mind' After Disastrous Debate

Top Biden Advisor Says Democrat Party is in Crisis After Disastrous Debate

Each time I write about the Democrat Party’s reaction to President Donald…
WATCH: Joy Reid Cries Uncontrollably Over Firing – ‘I’m Trying to Get Through It’

Video: Joy Reid Breaks Down in Tears After Being Fired – ‘I’m Trying to Cope’

Following reports of her impending dismissal from MSNBC, Joy Reid gave one…
Russian consulate in France targeted with explosive projectiles on 3rd anniversary of Ukraine invasion

Explosive missiles hit Russian embassy in France on 3rd anniversary of Ukraine attack

On Monday, it was reported that two explosive projectiles went off near…
The dystopian way Elon Musk will decide which federal workers to fire after 'what did you do last week?' email

Elon Musk’s dystopian method for selecting which government employees to dismiss after asking, ‘What did you accomplish last week?’ via email

Elon Musk is considering using artificial intelligence to decide which government employees…
Terrifying video gives inside look at what it would be like to be eaten by a shark

Frightening video shows what it’s like to be eaten by a shark

A shocking video shows what prey often see during their last moments…
AP Trump news: Judge rejects immediately restoring Associated Press access to White House but urges government to reconsider

“Judge Denies Immediate Restoration of Associated Press Access to White House in AP Trump News Case”

WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Washington declined to promptly instruct the…