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Girlfriend, 45, of Levi Strauss heir sues him 'for promising to give her $300,000 to abort his child and then failing to pay when she went through with the procedure'
- Daniel Haas 'worried that a baby out of wedlock would bring shame on the family and didn't want a child to affect his long skiing and surfing trips'
- Christina Helm wasn't certain about having an abortion because of her age but Haas 'threatened her and offered her money'
- She said she would not have had the abortion if she knew he was lying
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER PUBLISHED: 20:40 GMT, 5 July 2013 | UPDATED: 21:43 GMT, 5 July 2013
An heir to the Levi Strauss fortune promised his girlfriend he would give her $300,000 if she aborted his child - but then didn't pay her the money when she went through with it, she has claimed.Daniel S. Haas, a descendant of the Haas brothers, allegedly pressured Christina Helm, 45, into getting a termination because he was worried having a child out of wedlock would shame his family.
He also feared what impact the baby would have on his life - and didn't want to stop taking extended ski-trips to Lake Tahoe or long surfing trips to South America, according to a complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. At one point, he became so panicked about Helm keeping the baby that he smacked her across her bare stomach with her hand and demanded that she carry out the abortion, the complaint says.
Claims: A woman has filed a complaint in Los Angeles Supreme Court, pictured, claiming that an heir to Levi Strauss jeans pressured her into an abortion and told her he would pay her if she did
Helm is seeking medical expenses, the money she was promised and punitive damages for fraud, breach of contract and intentional infliction of emotional distress, Courthouse News Service reported.In her complaint, she says that she had been in a relationship with Haas for 13 months when she found out she was pregnant in June 2012.
When she told him, he allegedly demanded she have an abortion, but she said she needed to take time to think about it as she was 45 and feared it could be her last chance to get pregnant.But the complaint claims that Haas was under the control of his family who pressured him to end the relationship and the pregnancy because upholding the family's image was of 'paramount importance'.
'Due to the family's wealth, the man never had to work,' the complaint says. 'Throughout time, the man became complacent and never stood up to the family.
Family name: The complaint says he was worried about bringing shame on the family name by having a child out of wedlock. It adds that other family members pressured him into telling her to get an abortion
'The man's complacency did not change when his lover became pregnant out of wedlock. When the family demanded that he "fix" the problem, he did. Even if "fixing" the problem meant lying to his friend, lover and the mother of his unborn child.'
He offered to pay her $300,000 if she underwent an abortion within the following week, and promised her she would have the money within 24 hours of having the procedure, the complaint says.Helm also claims that he threatened her with an endless custody battle if she did go through with the pregnancy and even said he would 'dislike' the baby because he or she would symbolize the end of his freedom.But when she went through with the procedure in September 2012 and sent him paperwork to prove it, he did not give her the money, she claimed.She added that she would not have gone through with the abortion if she knew he was lying.
Family: He is a descendent of the Haas family; Peter Haas was president of Levi Strauss (seated) and former company president, his brother Walter (standing). They are next to cut-out of company founder
His 'true and only motivation was to ensure that [she] was no longer pregnant at all costs', according to the complaint, which claims that it was never his intention to go through with the promise.'Haas had every incentive to end the relationship as quietly as he could as the public exposure was far too much for Haas to bear,' it says.Daniel Haas is a descendant of Walter and Peter Haas, brothers who joined their family business, Levi Strauss, in the 1940s and helped turn it into a successful, global company.
