Schiffer Boots British Fiance

Nov. 8, 2000 -- Supermodel Claudia Schiffer made her longtime fiancé, magician David Copperfield, disappear last fall. Now the German-born beauty has given walking papers to British art dealer Tim Jeffries, to whom she was also engaged.

Schiffer’s rep confirmed the couple’s breakup to New York Daily News columnists Rush and Molloy but would not divulge details. Alleged friends of the couple, however, tell the paper that Jeffries’ bank account is not full enough to satisfy the pampered tastes of Schiffer — who reportedly wanted her beau to sign a pre-nuptial agreement.

“Tim is very sad and lonely,” one of his anonymous pals declares. “It’s all about money.” A Schiffer insider shoots back, “That doesn’t sound at all like her.”

What’s the deal? Jeffries and the leggy blonde were to have married in May, but the ceremony never happened. They were reportedly apartment-hunting in New York City, but Schiffer’s lust for a pricey penthouse may have set Jeffries on ice.

“Tim couldn’t keep up,” a source tells the Daily News. “He was like, ‘Who wants to ride an elevator up all those floors?’”

Couple Once Intended to Wed

Jeffries, who comes from a wealthy family, was previously married to soft-core porn star Koo Stark and has been romantically linked to model-actress Elizabeth Hurley, supermodel Elle Macpherson, and pop singer Kylie Minogue.

Prior to breaking up, Schiffer and Copperfield had publicly announced their intention to eventually wed, and both had vigorously defended themselves against allegations that their relationship was a sham. Between them, they filed three separate multimillion-dollar lawsuits against the Paris-Match tabloid, which reported in 1997 that their romance was a business arrangement.