Widow loses $6M to escort

Marianne Flippo, 49, claims male escort Gregg Starr manipulated her into transferring $5.95 million after her husband's death. She filed a lawsuit Monday alleging he used declarations of love and coercion to exploit her vulnerability.

“I now realize I was foolish”

Chad Flippo's sudden death

Marianne's husband Chad, a Roblox software creator who amassed a substantial fortune, died by suicide on August 5, 2024, after battling depression. They had been together since she was 13 and had three children.

Rare illness compounds grief

Marianne has vascular Ehler-Danlos syndrome, a genetic disorder that makes connective tissues fragile. People with this condition have an average life expectancy of 48 to 51 years, and she is currently 49.

Trip to Italy for medication

Months after her husband's death, Marianne needed to travel to Italy to obtain rare medication made scarce by the Russia-Ukraine war. She sought a companion for the trip and contacted Cowboys 4 Angels, an escort agency.

Cowboys 4 Angels agency

The escort service bills itself as offering elite male companions for women and was featured on Showtime's reality show Gigolos. It became notorious for staffing Sean Combs' drug-fueled sex parties.

Meeting Gregg Starr

Starr, 38, was hired for $27,000 to accompany Flippo to Italy. He was fluent in Italian and easy on the eyes. Flippo claims she didn't realize it was an escort agency when she hired him.

Starr's dual identity

On LinkedIn, Starr lists himself as a healthcare private equity investor with experience at financial firms. On Instagram, he posts sculpted physique photos and runway shots, flaunting his appearance to potential clients.

Escalating financial demands

After the Italy trip, Starr moved into Flippo's New York home in December and convinced her to pay over $450,000 to keep him exclusive. The agency repeatedly contacted her saying how much Starr missed her.

Atlanta trip turns dark

During an Atlanta trip in early 2025, while Flippo was on strong medication after surgery, Starr and a Cowboys 4 Angels handler allegedly plied her with alcohol shots in a Four Seasons hotel room.

The $10M exit agreement

Under the influence of medication and five alcoholic drinks, Flippo signed a $10 million exit agreement to buy Starr out of his escort contract. Her bank later recalled the transfer over fraud concerns.

“Pressured by Starr and (the agency employee), under the influence of multiple prescription medications as well as five alcoholic drinks, suffering from a severe infection, still recovering from surgery, and still emotionally lost due to the loss of her husband, Marianne signed the Exit Agreement despite lacking the capacity to understand its import”

Joint account transfer

When the wire transfer was blocked, Flippo claims Starr and the agency employee convinced her to open a joint account. She transferred $5.95 million into it, which Starr then moved to an account under his sole control.

Lawyer's wake-up call

In June, Flippo hired attorney Larry Hutcher to review the exit agreement. He immediately rejected it as fraudulent. During a confrontation meeting, Hutcher told Starr he was a common criminal, prompting Starr to threaten to hide the money.

“I said to him, 'You're nothing more than a common criminal'”

Starr's defense

Starr claims much of the $6 million was spent on couple expenses and charitable donations, including $1 million to churches. He says Flippo was abusive, screamed at him, threw phones, and tried to prevent him from leaving.

“I wanted to give it a fair shot. I wanted to have financial security. I wanted to leave the agency and actually pursue a relationship because I was in love with her despite all the other things”

Lawyer dismisses charity claims

Hutcher scoffed at Starr's claims of charitable donations and victimhood, calling the idea that Starr was abused by Flippo absolutely absurd. He chose civil court to recover money quickly rather than pursue criminal charges.

“I would love to see out of the $6 million, how much was charity”

Flippo's public stand

Flippo wrote that she is publicly disclosing what happened to regain her dignity and warn others about Starr's conduct. She vowed to vigorously enforce her rights to recover the stolen funds no matter the personal cost.

“If Starr believed that he could retain the proceeds of his illegal scheme and that I would go quietly into the night to avoid unwanted publicity, he is sorely mistaken.”