Peter had the world on a string, until he didn’t. In the late 80s, he met and married an Afghani woman named Nejma Khanum. The marriage went sour but she held on, became his agent, took control of his business affairs, cancelled deals he had made, and alienated many of his long-time friends and associates. Now they are being sued by one of those former associates. This is the story.
For the last couple of years, Peter and Nejma have been regulars in the gossip columns, and not much of it has been flattering. Peter would be sighted making out in a nightclub or a restaurant with an attractive woman, and Nejma would issue a statement denying it happened, even though photos proved otherwise. Things got worse.
Let’s go back to last year, when New York magazine ran a story called “Taming Peter Beard”. The subhead, known as the deck, read as follows: “The photographer, playboy, and Warhol pal never seemed to care much about his legacy or making money. Now that he’s 75, his wife, Nejma, wants to change all that—even if it means clawing back work he used to pay off bar tabs and infuriating his friends.”
He certainly has led a storied, colorful life!
