Art critic and cartoonist Anthony Haden-Guest has filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court against socialite and collector Libbie Mugrabi, alleging she refuses to return 97 of his original drawings. The works were entrusted to Mugrabi roughly 15 years ago for a planned exhibition at her Southampton home that never materialized; instead, the drawings remained hanging in her Hamptons mansion. Haden-Guest also claims he is owed $18,000 for creative work on Mugrabi's fashion venture, and seeks at least $115,000 in damages plus the return of the artwork. Mugrabi has reportedly called the allegations "bogus."
The case highlights the often informal, trust-based arrangements that can govern high-society art transactions, and the legal complications that arise when friendships sour. It also underscores the vulnerability of artists—even established figures like Haden-Guest—when works are held by powerful collectors without formal contracts. The dispute is the latest in a series of legal entanglements involving Mugrabi, who has faced prior lawsuits and criminal charges, adding a layer of notoriety to an already contentious art-world drama.