Woman barred from flight poses on Playboy site

Woman barred from flight
poses on Playboy site

DALLAS — A 23-year-old college student who was told by a Southwest Airlines employee that her outfit was too revealing to fly is wearing even less on Playboy’s Web site. Kyla Ebbert appears in a series of pictures — some in lingerie, some nude — under the heading, “Legs in the Air.”

“They’re very tastefully done,” Ebbert told The Associated Press on Thursday. “I don’t see anything wrong with the female body.” Playboy contacted Ebbert’s attorney to pitch the idea of posing. On its Web site, Playboy says Ebbert “was too sexy for Southwest Airlines, but she’s perfect for Playboy.” Ebbert said she was paid “less than six figures” to pose, but wouldn’t give the specific amount. A Southwest Airlines Co. employee pulled Ebbert off a flight this summer and forced her to adjust her outfit of a tank top, sweater and miniskirt before getting back on the plane. Ebbert ripped the airline in appearances on NBC’s “The Today Show” and “The Dr. Phil Show,” during which she wore the outfit. Southwest officials said they don’t have a dress code but don’t want customers’ attire to offend other passengers.

Woman who kissed art
is convicted by court

AVIGNON, France — A woman whose left a lipstick kiss on an all-white painting by the American artist Cy Twombly was convicted Friday of “voluntarily damaging a work of art” and ordered to do 100 hours of community service. The court in Avignon, southern France, also ordered Rindy Sam, a 30-year-old artist of Cambodian origin who lives in France, to pay damages. She must hand over $1,465 to the painting’s owner, $730 to the Avignon gallery that showed it and $1.50 to the painter. The owner, Yvon Lambert, had asked for more than $2.9 million in damages, which included the value of the painting and the $47,000 restoration cost. During the trial, Sam argued that she had committed an “act of love” — not vandalism. “I didn’t think,” she said last month. “When I kissed it, I thought the artist would have understood.” Sam was taken into custody after she kissed the painting at an exhibit in Avignon on July 19.

Today’s birthdays

Singer Gordon Lightfoot is 69. Movie director Martin Scorsese is 65. Actress Lauren Hutton is 64. Actor-director Danny DeVito is 63. “Saturday Night Live” producer Lorne Michaels is 63. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Tom Seaver is 63. Actress Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is 49. Entertainer RuPaul is 47. Actress-model Daisy Fuentes is 41. Country singer Aaron Lines is 30. Rock musician Isaac Hanson (Hanson) is 27.