Russian ‘spy’ embarrassed at media coverage

SUSPECTED Russian spy Anna Chapman was said to be “embarrassed” by the media coverage generated by her arrest as her ex-husband yesterday revealed more intimate details about their relationship.

The image of the flame-haired 28-year-old was splashed across the world’s media following her arrest for allegedly spying on the US. Her private life was dissected at length after Alex Chapman and his family decided to speak to the media about their time with her.

Chapman and 10 others are accused by the United States of working as secret agents for Russia’s intelligence service, the SVR.

Lawyer Robert Baum, showed the Russian diplomat’s daughter press cuttings following her arrest.

He said: “She was embarrassed by some of the photos that were obviously taken from her Facebook pages.

“The truth is she is probably no different than your typical single 28-year-old woman in New York City.

“She runs a successful business, goes out at night. She dates men, enjoys asocial life.”

Mr Baum said she was “very concerned” that she may get deported and added that she wanted to stay in the US.

Chapman’s former father-in-law insisted he did not recognise the press images of her and suggested she may have been set up.

The 56-year-old independent mortgage adviser told the Daily Mail: “She’s simply not some Mata Hari, she can’t be . . . she’s just an ordinary girl.”

And he said he could not believe his son was targeted just for his British passport, insisting: “I’m convinced it wasn’t a honey trap.”

Officials in Dublin are also looking into claims that a false Irish passport was to be used by a member of the alleged spy ring.