[UPDATE BELOW] A woman who reportedly had an eight-and-a-half year affair with the married head of a major technology company purchased at least three Manhattan billboards in an attempt to shame the man. Ads showing Oracle President Charles Phillips posing with his mistress YaVaughnie Wilkins with the quote "'You are my soulmate forever!' - cep" have been posted at the corners of 45th Street and Third Avenue, 49th Street and 7th Avenue, 52nd Street and Broadway, as well as locations in Atlanta and San Francisco.
The billboards include the web domain charlesphillipsandyavaughniewilkins.com, which is purportedly a photo site of "snaps of the duo vacationing, dancing, drinking and singing karaoke" as well as scans of "dozens of florists cards signed 'Charles' bearing messages like 'I'm sorry, please forgive me,' 'I'm crazy about you' and 'We're going to have a great life, stick with me," according to the Daily News. The site appears to be down, but Gawker — which broke the story — has a gallery of some of the images.
Yesterday, Phillips' publicist issued this statement on behalf of the 50-year-old software executive: "I had an 8½-year serious relationship with YaVaughnie Wilkins. My divorce proceedings began in 2008. The relationship with Ms. Wilkins has since ended and we both wish each other well." According to the Post, Wilkins put up the ads after Phillips stopped seeing her and reconciled with his wife. ClearChannel has refused to say who purchased the ads, but the tabloid estimates that the "very public humiliation campaign may have cost Wilkins upwards of $250,000." The web designer who created the photo site claims Wilkins paid him "about $1,400" in August, and he thought the site was supposed to be a gift for Phillips. When a Post reporter knocked on the door of the Upper West Side brownstone where Phillips lives with his wife and son, Phillips reportedly said "Oh, man" and "I'm sorry" before closing the door.
Update: The Daily News reports that the billboard at 52nd Street and Broadway has been taken down, however it's "unclear whether the other billboards Wilkins put up — in Atlanta and San Francisco — were also removed Friday."
