Playboy to cut ties with Portugal edition over 'shocking' photos of Jesus Christ with topless models
BY Catey Hill
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Friday, July 9th 2010, 10:32 AM
Playboy is known for pushing boundaries, but a recent move by its Portuguese arm may have pushed those boundaries too far. Way, way too far, a spokeswoman for Playboy reveals.
The July edition of Playboy in Portugal features a cover with a topless, tattooed model being held by Jesus Christ. Inside, it includes more spreads of Jesus surrounded by nude women.
The photos were supposed to be a tribute to “The Gospel According to Jesus Christ,” a novel written by Jose Saramago about Christ’s life.
But Playboy headquarters didn’t quite see them like that, denouncing the shoot as “shocking.”
“We did not see or approve the cover and pictorial in the July issue of Playboy Portugal,” Theresa Hennessy, vice president of public relations at Playboy, told the UK’s Daily Mail.
“It is a shocking breach of our standards and we would have not allowed it to be published if we had seen it in advance,” she added.
Playboy intends to sever relations with Frestacom-Lisbon Media Publishing, the Portuguese subsidiary responsible for that shoot.
“We are in the process of terminating our agreement with the Portuguese publisher,” Hennessey told the paper.
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