Simon Leviev, the man globally known as the Tinder Swindler, has announced legal action against Netflix and the women who accused him of multimillion-dollar romance scams. This development comes just after his release from a Georgian prison where he spent two months fighting extradition.
From International Fugitive to Litigant
The alleged Israeli con artist, whose real name is Shimon Yehuda Hayut, made his intentions clear during an interview with TMZ Live on Tuesday. Leviev was arrested on September 15 at Batumi airport following an Interpol Red Notice issued against him. He had been detained in a Kutaisi penitentiary facility pending extradition to Germany.
During his TMZ appearance, the 35-year-old denied all allegations that led to the international arrest warrant. He claimed the accusations were completely false and doubled down on previous statements that the women featured in Netflix's popular 2022 documentary "The Tinder Swindler" were lying about their experiences.
Victims or Liars? Leviev's Shocking Claims
Leviev made several bold assertions during his interview, directly contradicting the documentary's narrative. "The truth always prevails," he told TMZ regarding the allegations. "Women nowadays doing a lot of things to get famous."
In a stunning reversal of the documentary's claims, Leviev stated: "No women gave me any money … on the contrary, I'm the one who gave them. They should not call me the Tinder Swindler, they should call me the Tinder Donor."
The three women featured in the Netflix documentary - Cecilie Fjellhøy, Pernilla Sjöholm and Ayleen Charlotte - had detailed how Leviev allegedly posed as a wealthy heir between 2017 and 2019 to trick them into advancing him large sums of money that were never repaid.
Legal Battle Against Streaming Giant
Leviev confirmed he has taken formal legal steps against the streaming service that made him infamous. "I did file a lawsuit and a letter of demand and things for Netflix," he revealed to TMZ. "I cannot say at the moment where it stays … but, yeah, I did, against the girls and against Netflix."
According to Netflix's investigation presented in the documentary, Leviev's alleged victims lost approximately $10 million through his sophisticated dating app schemes. The documentary portrayed how he used Tinder to find potential targets, presenting himself as the son of billionaire diamond magnate Lev Leviev.
Following his rise to notoriety, Leviev had reportedly signed a management deal with former porn star Gina Rodriguez (Mommy XXX), who manages several reality TV stars including Mama June. His current legal actions mark the latest chapter in a story that continues to capture international attention.
