Moving On

Update as of 10-15-2018 -- The case has been dismissed by both parties.  As we have agreed to move forward, the dismissed case will remain confidential.

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I was reading a great article that I would like to share with you. It is written by Cathy Malchiodi and published by Psychology Today, "Getting Whole While Getting Even, Self-expression is key to recovery from life's atrocities; it's the best revenge."

Malchiodi cites the work of Judith Herman, author of the seminal Trauma and Recovery. 

"Herman refers to the most terrible forms of atrocities, including interpersonal violence (sometimes called domestic violence, child abuse, spousal abuse or elder abuse), war, and terrorism. Fortunately, most of us do not experience the atrocities that Herman describes. But we generally do not escape smaller atrocities in our own lives that are hurtful enough to stimulate thoughts of 'getting even.' There's the betrayal of a relationship, discrimination at work or the full-blown experience of ingratitude, disrespect or humiliation. Sometimes the situations that include these experiences are very similar to those found in interpersonal violence because friends, family or co-workers tell us to remain silent about the atrocity and 'move on.' 

She adds - "Or they may even actively collude with the perpetrators to maintain the dysfunctional dynamics that they prefer in lieu of confrontation and truth-telling. They often convince themselves that they are not part of the problem and in doing so, reinforce a sense of victimhood and hopelessness for everyone involved." 

This is exactly what happened with the Cast and Crew of Looking for Clara. Many of them came to me to complain about Alfieri and to voice their concerns during filming. Many were unhappy with the way Alfieri was handling production. They were victims of his abusive behavior. Now they have all "moved on" and are friends with him again.  They make their own decisions and can choose whatever path they want in life. I am also entitled to choose whatever direction I want to go. I have chosen to write this blog and to tell the truth - my truth.

Malchiodi also mentions other writers' work on this subject. "Gina Barreca's 'Sweet Revenge' quotes a female Fortune 500 executive who noted, 'The best form of revenge is simply to make the truth known.' It can be, as Gina says wonderfully restorative and gratifying, especially when hurt or humiliated, to not 'be nice.' I personally believe speaking truth to power can be the ultimate in healing experiences." 

And I love the way Malchiodi finishes her article.

We unfortunately learn that not everyone can be trusted and that people who we thought had our backs will do everything to keep themselves safe while abandoning us in many cases. This is one of the many circumstances where the human reflex of "getting even" emerges in response. But then I always remember the sideways wisdom of First Wives Club Ivana Trump who said, "Don't get even, get everything!" Instead of getting all the money like Ivana, to me it means that "getting even" is really about "getting whole" (getting everything) again. More importantly, we all have the imaginative power to recreate that wholeness. And we all have the possibility to recover whatever was lost, stolen, violated, disrespected or betrayed from those who hurt us which is the ultimate form of "getting even."

For the full article go to http://www.psychologytoday.com/collections/201208/moving/getting-whole-while-getting-even

My Blog

A couple of days ago an anonymous reader posted a message on the post To Cast & Crew - The comment read "You sound super bitter- move on!" 

This was part of my response -

I am not bitter at all. I am a very happy person. I am actually thankful for the great gift Alfieri has given me... a story to tell.  I am working on my book and movie. I am SUPER excited about my projects... Isn't that moving on and using the past as a blessing not a tragedy?

I understand that some people might get tired of hearing the same story again and again, and are inclined to tell the person who's re-telling the drama-filled story to move on.  We all have different ways of "moving on" because we have our own "spiritual curriculum," as we learned as students at USM (University of Santa Monica). 

When we are blind to a situation and have not learned what we are meant to with that specific experience, we become stuck and suffer.  As we gain awareness and acceptance, we start our journey towards healing and self-forgiveness... that is when we are ready to move on.

If I pretend that what happened did not occur and bury it deep inside of me, I know it will surface every time I encounter a triggering event. I will lash out at people who remind me of Victor or of what he did to me. It is like sweeping the dirt under a rug instead of picking it up and cleaning it. The more "unresolved issues" we hide under the rug, the messier our life becomes, even if it looks neat on the surface.

I have accepted what happened and I am actually using the apparent loss as inspiration to create something new and fulfilling. I feel excited about the future and my new life as a writer and producer. I really would have never chosen this path if I had not gone through the Trevino-Alfieri saga.  What is there to regret?

Disclaimer – As of October 15, 2018, all legal issues have been resolved. This resolution was reached during arbitration. There are no pending issues related to fraud or theft. The resolution was mutually agreeable. There will be no more posts written about this story.

Copyright Infringement???

Update as of 10-15-2018 -- The case has been dismissed by both parties.  As we have agreed to move forward, the dismissed case will remain confidential.

As of 7/30/13, the Copyright Claims have been dismissed and my videos restored. 

I initially thought that my encounter with Alfieri at the Coffee Bean on Sunset Boulevard had rekindled his desire to start another legal battle with me. Just five hours after I saw him twirling his hair in the parking lot of the coffee shop, I got a notification from YouTube alerting me that I was being accused of copyright infringement. I later learned that the claim had been submitted on July 1st.  

In order to maintain a YouTube account and enjoy the benefits it offers, some rules have to be followed and respected. The uploaded videos may not contain inappropriate material. In addition, material that belongs to another party may not be used without authorization.

YouTube allows three "strikes" before canceling an account. I have received my first strike from Victor Alfieri and Bondolini Productions. I have submitted a counter-notification denying any copyright infringement.  Now my account is on "probation" and my response could trigger a lawsuit if Alfieri insists that the footage is his.

I have been really careful with what I have included in my videos and how I edited them. I consulted with my attorney and he assured me that portions of the footage from Victor's deposition could be posted on line. He told me that as long as I did not alter the footage, I could post the complete deposition on YouTube.

I did cut the footage from the deposition and edited in a way that is entertaining and focuses on a specific subject. I was especially proud of my amateur editing work in my "trailers." I actually had so much fun working on them. I was careful to only use footage I owned. I had a few videos and multiple photos shot with my iPhone and my digital camera. That is the footage and pictures I used for my YouTube videos.

Now Alfieri is claiming copyright infringement? Why would he only claim it over the "trailers"? Does he believe that the footage I used was shot with the Alexa camera? Well... I am flattered.

The footage used was either from the deposition, from my iPhone or digital camera. Therefore, I own it and can create any videos I want with it. 

A legal representative was listed in the copyright claim. Her name is Margarette Mow. I believe it is somewhat strange that she provided an odd gmail address as her contact information instead of using an email connected to her lawfirm's website, which would have been more appropriate and professional. I cannot help it but speculate about how these copyright claims were discussed with an attorney, what information Alfieri shared and what he chose to omit.

This is what I personally believe:

• Afieri wanted to start another legal battle and used the videos as an excuse. Why did he wait 5 months to do so?????
• Ms. Mow is a woman Alfieri charmed and convinced to have her become his legal representative in these copyright claims. He is not paying her a penny (my personal opinion.)
• Ms. Mow does not know much about the case or what truly happened. She only heard Alfieri's story where he is clearly the victim and needs legal protection. I really hope that she takes the time to read some of the posts of this blog.

In ten days I will find out if YouTube will get my videos back up or if Alfieri will sue for copyright claims over the footage of those videos.  I will be updating this post when this happens.

UPDATE: I received three emails from Youtube such as the one below - one for each video that had previously been removed.

Disclaimer – As of October 15, 2018, all legal issues have been resolved. This resolution was reached during arbitration. There are no pending issues related to fraud or theft. The resolution was mutually agreeable. There will be no more posts written about this story.

Sunset Boulevard

Update as of 10-15-2018 -- The case has been dismissed by both parties.  As we have agreed to move forward, the dismissed case will remain confidential.

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This morning I was walking by the Coffee Bean on Sunset Blvd., I thought of Victor Alfieri and how funny it would be to run into him there. I even imagined cheerfully shouting out "Alfieri" with a big smile on my face.... when a man twirling his hair got my attention...

This man was compulsively twirling the hair that was sticking out of the bandana he was wearing over his head. This is something Victor would do all the time. I remember I would slap his hand when he did  that and would say, "stop doing that!" because it truly got on my nerves.

When I got closer to him, I observed, his face, his profile, his clothes.... It was Victor Alfieri!!! I think he also saw me but pretended he did not know who I was. He immediately put his headpiece (connected to his cell phone) in his ear and started walking the opposite direction.

Larrabee Street

Last year, I was living in an apartment on Larrabee and Santa Monica Blvd. He knew I lived on Larrabee because I had told him I moved there.  This is before we broke up and, of course, before the scandal erupted. However, he did not know the exact address. Please see map on left. "A" is where I used to live.

After publicly accusing me of being obsessed with him and of "stalking" him, I found him following me and driving by my apartment building several times.  Anyone from West Hollywood knows that Larrabee is only 3 blocks long. There is really NO reason to drive on Larrabee if you don't live there or if you are not visiting someone who lives there. San Vicente Blvd, a major street, is just a block away from Larrabee Street and can connect you to Santa Monica Blvd or Sunset Blvd.

It was clear that he wanted to know where my apartment was and spent numerous hours driving down the short 3 block street trying to figure out where EXACTLY I lived. I remember one day as I was exiting my garage, I cut off a car that I was approaching. I waved at the car with an apologetic gesture. I realized it was Victor's Porsche... with Victor inside. Because he was right behind my car, I could see him in my rear view mirror. We were both heading toward Santa Monica Blvd. We were going to have to make a right turn. But, through the rear view mirror, I saw how Victor freaked out and made an immediate left into an alley. At that point, he had succeeded in finding out where I lived.

Just a couple of weeks after this incident, a mutual friend who was visiting me saw him on the corner of Cynthia and Larrabee. I actually met this mutual friend through Victor, himself. He also had problems with her and they were not talking anymore. He was again in his Porsche signaling that he was going to turn right onto Larrabee Street, my block - and as I said before - really no reason to go that way. He saw my friend and "freaked"... What did he do this time?  He continued going straight on Cynthia with his right blinker still on!

Why would he drive by my place???? What was he expecting to get out of it??? Was he spying on me?  So who was stalking whom?

When he and I started talking again after I dropped my lawsuit against him, he was very persistent in getting my new address. He claimed he would send a copy of the first cut of the film by regular mail. I refused to give my home address to him although by now, he probably knows it. He proved to be a good investigator.

It is really ironic how close the two of us are geographically. Next time we run into each other, I hope to be able to say hello and communicate like two adults. He is the one who started all the conflict. He is the one who created a slanderous lie about me that grew too big to be manageable. If he offered his sincere apologies and told the truth about what really happened between us.... Well.... I could only dream!!!!

Disclaimer – As of October 15, 2018, all legal issues have been resolved. This resolution was reached during arbitration. There are no pending issues related to fraud or theft. The resolution was mutually agreeable. There will be no more posts written about this story.

Staying in Touch

Update as of 10-15-2018 -- The case has been dismissed by both parties.  As we have agreed to move forward, the dismissed case will remain confidential.

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LinkedIn might know something I don't about business. Two days ago I received this message from them - "Adriana, Staying in touch with valuable contacts can help you in your career. Quickly connect to some people we think you know. Victor Alfieri, Actor at Warner Bros. Pictures."

I am aware that LinkedIn uses your address book and previous emails of people with whom you have communicated in the past. Victor and I exchanged thousands of emails in 2010 and 2011. No wonder LinkedIn believes we should connect in business.

It is funny that now his name appears first every time I open LinkedIn. It appears as the top suggestion to connect. Maybe I should reach out. He is the director of the movie I financed. We are still doing business together..... We should be "Linked In."

I will report on what happens with my request to Victor to connect. Will he connect with the Executive Producer of his first feature film?  Will he reject the request?  I now have almost 900 connections on LinkedIn. He could certainly benefit from it.

Disclaimer – As of October 15, 2018, all legal issues have been resolved. This resolution was reached during arbitration. There are no pending issues related to fraud or theft. The resolution was mutually agreeable. There will be no more posts written about this story.

Running Amok

Update as of 10-15-2018 -- The case has been dismissed by both parties.  As we have agreed to move forward, the dismissed case will remain confidential.

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Update as of February 13, 2014- Dr. Manuel Saint Martin comes to Alfieri's rescue once again, now threatening to take me to Arbitration.   Please read - Advocating for Justice.

"From the Malay meaning 'mad with uncontrollable rage'-  is a term that is used for a sudden outburst, usually aggressive or violent, and is preceded by a dissociative episode of brooding over some perceived wrong towards a person or object... 'Running amok' is used to refer to the behavior of someone who, in the grip of strong emotion, obtains a weapon and begins attacking people indiscriminately, often with multiple fatalities."

--- Wikipedia

Definition of "run amok" - go mad, go wild, turn violent, go berserk, lose control, go insane, go into a frenzy... to rush about madly, attacking everybody and everything.  "The prisoner ran amok and killed two prison officers."

--  The Free Dictionary by Farlex

"The perpetrators of 'amok,' it was believed, were as much the victims as those whom they killed or maimed. Having been entered by an evil tiger spirit named “hantu belian,” a host was powerless to resist, and would be mourned in death like any other. No stigma. No disgrace. No opprobrium. Just mourning, and the sincere prayer that it wouldn’t happen again any time soon....There is something in the claim that British civilization helped to prevent mass killings, as the British tendency to put killers on trial may well have dampened enthusiasm for murderous sprees."

-- Running Amok by Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review on Line

"Pow Meng Yap, a psychiatrist for the Hong Kong Government, wrote in 1951 that amok behavior was preceded by a period of brooding, and if the attacker was not killed in the process, it ended when the individual became exhausted and collapsed (and frequently had amnesia for the event)." 

--- Running Amok: A Modern Perspective on a Culture-Bound Syndrome by Manuel L. Saint Martin, The Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry

The Trevino-Alfieri Story is a clear depiction of someone "running amok." In this case, that someone is Victor Alfieri, brooding over some perceived wrongdoing by others - the crew, the cast and, mainly ME.

In the grip of strong emotion, Alfieri obtained a weapon - legal action driven by media manipulation. No wonder I believed Victor had gone insane and out of control. He was simply "running amok."

Manuel Saint Martin, MD, JD
Photo from LinkedIn

His bad case of amnesia is also explained by this condition, as Dr. Saint Martin states in his article, "Running Amok: A Modern Perspective on a Culture-Bound Syndrome." This legal battle got Victor so exhausted.... making him collapse and, in this case, as a result... he suffered from amnesia.  Wow!!! I finally understand.

Manuel Saint Martin, this brilliant psychiatrist, is also an attorney who practices law in California. He is a professional witness in court cases. And now, he has become Victor Alfieri's legal counsel in the pending matter against him and Bondolini Productions.

And now I wonder...

Why did Roger Muse withdraw as Alfieri's attorney from that case???  

Hmm... has Roger read this blog? Does he now know all the facts supported by evidence that contradict Alfieri's outrageous tales?

Is Dr. Saint Martin Alfieri's treating psychiatrist??? Can he act as both his legal and "mental" counsel?  

I don't know. But I am glad Victor is getting help.

Why would Alfieri continue with this legal battle when the plaintiff was willing to dismiss the lawsuit against him and Bondolini Productions without asking for any monetary compensation?  

Ah.... I get it... He is still "running amok" and needs to act out his delusions and perceived wrongdoing by others.

"Today, amok should be viewed as one possible outcome of an individual's undiagnosed and/or untreated psychiatric condition with psychosis or severe personality pathology...To date, there is no medication that has been proven to specifically treat violent behavior, and since violence results from multiple factors, it is unlikely that any such medication will be developed in the near future."

-- Running Amok: A Modern Perspective on a Culture-Bound Syndrome by Manuel L. Saint Martin, The Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry

I hold no resentment against Victor for what he has done to me. I understand what it must be like to feel that there is a continuous battle to fight and win. I sure hope he gets to come to the realization that whatever happened on set, back in 2011, is done. It's in the past... We should all move on.

Disclaimer – As of October 15, 2018, all legal issues have been resolved. This resolution was reached during arbitration. There are no pending issues related to fraud or theft. The resolution was mutually agreeable. There will be no more posts written about this story.

Suspicious Activity

Am I supposed to be blind to this?

Update as of 10-15-2018 -- The case has been dismissed by both parties.  As we have agreed to move forward, the dismissed case will remain confidential.

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It is difficult for me to ignore all the red flags and suspicious activity that still surround this movie project. Most of my friends and family tell me to just ignore all of it and to "move on." I have already closed the chapter on the personal relationship I had with Victor Alfieri. That is done! However, I am still dealing with post-production and trying to get this film finished and distributed.  So the only way for me to completely "move on" is to give up my WHOLE investment and forget I was ever part of this movie... plus I would have to ignore all the unethical and seemingly fraudulent things that keep coming to my attention.

Just put yourself in my position. First, remove the personal/intimate/romantic relationship. That is not a factor anymore. Now, ignore the betrayal, disappointment, loss of money, legal battle, slander and scandal. What are you left with? An investment you want to recover and lots of suspicious activity that cannot be justified.

Would you wait until the movie got sold and ignore behavior that you consider shady, unethical and possibly illegal? Be honest with yourself. Would you ignore it???

Victor Alfieri has clearly betrayed me. His public attack with false allegations has damaged my reputation and hurt my business. I know it has been almost two years since that happened. I can leave that behind and move on.... the problem is that Alfieri continues to conceal information. He continues to do unethical and suspicious things.

I thought that because during our depositions many facts were disclosed, he would be more careful with his actions when I dropped my lawsuit. I thought he would be more respectful, honest and ethical. I was wrong.

Past Suspicious Activity and Unethical Behavior

Alfieri would prohibit me from talking with anyone involved in the film project. Now I understand that he did not want me to say anything that would contradict his lies.

Alfieri made many "cash deals" claiming he was saving money that way. There is no way to verify how much money was actually paid and how much Alfieri pocketed.

Most of the Italian expenses were covered with cash payments and no receipts. This is extremely suspicious. There is no paper trail. The amounts can be easily made up. 

Alfieri did not want to get SAG actors. We all know the legal implications and the lawsuits against him that he avoided.

Alfieri was accused of sexually harassing the lead actress and, four months later, accused me of doing the same to him. This is a common reaction of someone who knows that he has done something wrong.

An actor and good friend of Alfieri's, was the holder of the life insurance policies during the production of the film. This is very suspicious. I, as the sole financier of the movie, should have been the holder of such policies, as my investment was at risk, not anybody else's. 

Victor Alfieri took my money from the account without my authorization, disconnected his phone and disappeared. If there is a person who would not consider this theft, I would like to meet that person. 

Alfieri claimed that he did not steal the money he took from me, that the money was INTACT in a bank account, when in reality he had immediately used most of it to hire Roger Muse to sue me. No comment here.

There are many more suspicious/illegal/unethical things he did in the past. I was willing to put all that behind and continue with post-production. I even publicly retracted my fraud allegations against him hoping that it would help get this project finished. 

Current Suspicious Activity

• Cash payments to crew
• No written agreements with current crew members and/or service providers
• No legitimate receipts for substantial expenses
• Refusal to provide names of "alleged" new investors and their singed agreements
• Refusal to take any of my input into consideration
• Refusal to honor my agreement (breach of contract)
• Personal Assistant, C.R.  This is laughable. I know Alfieri has no PA.
• The movie is not listed on IMDb

This is a portion of the email I received from Alfieri's "PA":

"In regards to your request for the contracts and information of all the investors and crew, we are unfortunately unable to provide them at this point. After learning of your blogs in which you mention everyone by name and their actions, disclosing private business emails and matters, all of the investors and post productions crew have requested (in writing) from Bondolini Productions to keep their information strictly confidential. Therefore, we are not legally in position to disclose any information to you or any other party at this point. "

I replied to that email and offered to keep the new investors' names confidential. I got no response. Alfieri's refusal to provide this information is breach of contract. I also voiced my disagreement as to terms and credits awarded with the investment. I have not given written authorization to most of the things that he has done.  What it is important to point out is that Alfieri continues to breach our contract again and again.

This is my personal opinion:  There are no other investors or they are investing different/lower  amounts than reported. Alfieri is getting most of the work done for free or at a much lower fee while promising to give producer credit to those people who are not paid fully. He is inflating the budget, claiming he is paying in cash or cashier's checks while, in reality, he is pocketing the money. I also believe that he is trying to cut me out of any future revenues.

I might be wrong... I really hope I am... And I do hope this project reaches completion and I get to recover my investment.

Disclaimer – As of October 15, 2018, all legal issues have been resolved. This resolution was reached during arbitration. There are no pending issues related to fraud or theft. The resolution was mutually agreeable. There will be no more posts written about this story.

The Story in Video

Update as of 10-15-2018 -- The case has been dismissed by both parties.  As we have agreed to move forward, the dismissed case will remain confidential.

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Update - On April 15, 2014, I filed a new lawsuit. Click the following link to read Above the Law.

I am officially done telling the majority of the Trevino-Alfieri story. It certainly has not ended and continues to unfold. We are in post-production now and expect to finish it in late April.

The personal and professional relationship Victor and I had has not been restored and will not likely be. I still want this movie to be completed and distributed... and of course, I would love to recover my investment.

I believe that the story can be told through the following videos.  These videos have been uploaded to YouTube. There are a few that are part of this blog that have not been uploaded. My understanding is that only YouTube videos can be watched on this blog when using a mobile phone or ipad to read the blog. That is why I have created this post and have included all the YouTube videos so more people can have access to them.


1 - The Trevino-Alfieri Story - Official Trailer (HD)

2 - The Wrap-Party

3 - The Snap Awards

4 - The Scandal

5 - Why Victor Alfieri Sued Adriana Trevino

6 - The Loan

7 - Sexual Harassment

8 - Perjury

9 - Amnesia

10 - "Amnesia" - The Trailer

11 - The Facebook Hacker

12 - Premeditation

13 - Alfieri's Version

14 - The Facts

15 - Top 10 Countdown - Most Creative & Memorable Claims Made by Alfieri

16 - The Trevino-Alfieri Story Part 2 - The Trailer

17 -  The Service

Only a couple are not included above. You can find the first missing video by going to the following post -  Safety Violations and Abuse on Set.

You can find the other video on the post "The Facebook Hacker." Go to the end of the post and click on the second video.  After watching it, (you will need a computer), you will know why I opted not to upload it on YouTube. I don't want James Bond coming after me!  The Facebook Hacker.

What's Next?

The book and script.  If you were or are part of this story and would like to offer your input, please contact me on google+ or twitter. 

Thanks for the support you have offered by reading my blog!

Disclaimer – As of October 15, 2018, all legal issues have been resolved. This resolution was reached during arbitration. There are no pending issues related to fraud or theft. The resolution was mutually agreeable. There will be no more posts written about this story.