Supermodel Carol Alt’s lawsuit against her ex-hubby, former Ranger captain Ron Greschner, was iced yesterday by a federal judge who blasted her and everyone else involved in the long-simmering contract case.
But the leggy brunette was inexplicably upbeat afterward, tearfully telling reporters the crushing defeat gave her long-needed “closure on one of the most significant periods of my life.”
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PAGE SIX: Tears An Alt-ered State?
“It was a heavy load, but I feel vindicated and I feel free, and these are tears of joy,” the former Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover girl said outside Manhattan federal court.
The 47-year-old beauty also plugged her upcoming appearance in the December issue of Playboy, saying it celebrated her victory over cancer through a “raw food” diet.
“I’m so grateful for the gift of life,” she said, her voice choking with emotion. Greschner, 53, declined to answer questions after the verdict, saying “nothing good ever comes of that.”
On Tuesday, the former Broadway Blueshirt knocked his ex-wife’s impending show-all spread, telling The Post: “I have no interest in seeing a 50-year-old woman naked. My wife right now is 40 and hot after five kids.”
But the former lovebirds – who faced off over her claim that he cheated her out of investment profits from their 18-year-marriage – had a brief reconciliation in the courtroom well after Alt approached from the losing side.
Alt said she expressed sympathy over Greschner’s mother’s recent surgery.
Alt sued Greschner last year for half of what she estimated was $18 million in profits the former defenseman made from a 1997 stock deal involving his brother-in-law’s Canadian water-filtration company.
But in a decision that took 40 minutes to read aloud, federal Judge Colleen McMahon said New York’s six-year statute of limitations for contract cases meant Alt waited too long to file her lawsuit.
And the judge said her analysis of the evidence showed Alt would only have been entitled to about $164,000 if she had sued on time.
McMahon laced into the attorneys on both sides, saying they intentionally dragged out the case for more than a year after she told them to be ready for trial in 30 days.
McMahon said she would punish the “lawyerly misbehavior” by approving only a fraction of the fees Alt will have to pay Greschner’s attorneys.
The judge also had harsh words for Alt and Greschner themselves.
She said Greschner was “technically quite wrong” when he told Alt he wouldn’t know how much the stock deal was worth until he sold out, and she said parts of Alt’s testimony ranged from “somewhat if not entirely hard to believe” to “utterly incredible.”
The judge also repeatedly faulted Alt for failing to protect her own interests, especially by not hiring her own lawyer when the couple agreed to separate.
But Alt said she wouldn’t do anything differently if she had the chance.
“Call me stupid. Call me a dumb brunette, instead of a blonde,” she said.