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Is Yigal Azrouël Katie Lee’s ‘Swordsman’?

Last week, Katie Lee and Billy Joel announced the crumbling of their five-year marriage; many a common-sensed person pointed to the couple’s difference in age as a source of problems (he’s 60, she’s 27 — and oh, how May buds are fragile in the harsh December winds). But people also were reminded of Katie Lee’s “friendship” with Israeli designer Yigal Azrouël, a relationship that had grown close enough to spark rumors of an affair this spring. Now that the marriage is over, some well-manicured fingers are pointing at Katie’s intimacy with Yigal as a problem: She’d stay in the city with the designer while her husband would roost on Long Island, and she’d even let Yigal watch her dogs. Oh, and there was apparently some “dirty dancing” between the two in Miami or something. “Page Six” subtly notes that, as a (rather good-looking) heterosexual male working in fashion, Azrouël has a reputation as quite the “swordsman,” romancing the types of ladies who might be able to help his career. So, if we are to do the unconfirmed, gossipy math, we are left with two possible equations: Pretty girl finds hot dude close to her own age; they hit it. Or: Hot dude finds pretty girl to help boost his profile; they hit it. That said, Joel’s rep, who is probably not a fan of doing this sort of math, claims Joel’s friendship with Yigal is “absolutely unrelated” to the split.

Katie Lee’s Pal’s Lots of Ladies [NYP]

Is Yigal Azrouël Katie Lee’s ‘Swordsman’?