A celebrity model, influencer and businesswoman has initiated High Court proceedings seeking damages arising from alleged breach of an alleged agreement for her participation in the Web Summit in Doha in February.

Simonetta Amabile, otherwise Simonetta Lein, is suing Connected Intelligence Limited, trading as Web Summit, with registered offices at Dartry Road, Dublin.

Italian-born Lein (43) is a TV personality and host, businesswoman and model who has featured in publications including Cosmopolitan and Vanity Fair Italia. She has almost 25 million followers on Instagram and in 2022 won the World Influencers and Bloggers Award in Cannes.

She is host of The Simonetta Lein Show and chief executive and co-founder of Ausonia Partners, a media and public relations agency with headquarters in Pennsylvania.

In 2015, she founded the Wishwall Foundation, aimed at addressing social issues including poverty and women’s safety.

Her proceedings, filed in the central office of the High Court this week, involve claims of an agreement around December 2025, allegedly implied from the parties’ communications and conduct, under which it was represented and/or agreed that Lein would participate in the Web Summit in Doha, Qatar in early February.

It is claimed the defendant was guilty of breach of contract and/or negligent misstatement and/or misrepresentation by removing Lein from the Web Summit programme and/or by refusing to permit her participation without lawful reasons, excuse or notice.

Lein claims she altered her plans, schedule and time commitments in reliance on the alleged agreement for her participation in the event.

She is seeking damages on grounds including alleged breach of agreement, alleged negligent misstatement and/or misrepresentation, alleged defamation and alleged economic loss. The damages claims include over the alleged use of her name and image in promotional materials relating to the Doha summit.

After a plenary summons filed in the High Court is served on a defendant, they have eight days to enter an appearance.