Journalism professor Christie Smythe, a love writer, desperately warned her not to fall for Martin Shkreli – predicting that the “Pharma Bro” would “ruin her life”.
“I tried …”, Columbia Journalism School tweeted Professor Michael Shapiro Monday, attempts to thwart the romance are reaffirmed.
Former Bloomberg reporter Smythe, 38, admitted her love for the maligned prison bird in a stunning interview with Elle magazine, saying she turned her “perfect little Brooklyn life” upside down – quit her job and got divorced.
In the article – which ended with Smythe seemingly being dumped by Shkreli through a terse statement from his attorneys – Shapiro shared his repeated warnings to his student, who was enrolled in the prestigious Knight-Bagehot Journalism Fellowship at the time.
The professor recalled his fears when Smythe appeared to be falling for Shkreli before he was sentenced to seven years in prison for defrauding investors.
She wrote “very candidly about how [Shkreli] had brought her in so successfully, “even if she knew” how manipulative he was towards reporters, “he told Elle.
Shapiro feared that Shkreli – already being taunted for jacking up the cost of a life-saving AIDS drug – was lacing up his student to “make her more and more grateful for access.”
“Once that happens, you are at a serious disadvantage as a reporter,” Shapiro told Elle – saying he also warned Smythe not to write a book about someone who was “so manipulative.”
“You’re going to ruin your life,” Smythe recalled Shapiro telling her.
She ignored that advice and got closer to Shkreli while working on a book – and eventually shared mutual confessions of love during a prison visit in which she kissed.
Smythe was heartbroken, however, but wept during her interviews with Elle when she said Shkreli wished her “good luck in her future endeavors.”
“He basically dumped me through his lawyers,” she told The Post on Monday, saying she is now “absolutely open” to dating.
“I’ve actually been celibate for two years,” she said. “I’m not going to wait.”