A
high-profile dispute is unfolding on Miami's exclusive Fisher Island, where a private club has expelled one of its members and his supermodel wife. The couple, Karolina Kurkova and Archie Drury, claim the club retaliated against them after Drury started his own real estate company. They filed a lawsuit alleging unlawful expulsion and retaliation.

    Fisher Island is an 216-acre enclave located just south of Miami Beach, accessible only by helicopter or boat. It boasts its own private school, medical clinic, and gourmet market, with apartments starting at $4 million and houses ranging from $6 million to $85 million. Membership in the Fisher Island Club, a non-profit that owns nearly every amenity on the island, is required for access.

    Sources say the club has been cracking down on dissent, suspending or expelling members who create "disharmony" with their comments. A member of several years described the situation as "different from revoking your club membership at La Gorce," saying that here, you "literally have to pack up your home and leave."

    The club denies silencing or retaliating against any member for voicing an opinion, but Kurkova and Drury's lawsuit claims otherwise. They allege the club threatened them with a 30-day suspension if they didn't cease their attempts to undermine the club's capital projects.

    The couple had lived on the island as members of the club for over a decade before being expelled in January. Their lawsuit accuses the club of "threats and coercion," claiming one of their employees was asked to provide false testimony against them or risk losing their apartment and privileges on the island.

    In response, the Fisher Island Club has defended its position, filing to strike and dismiss what it calls a "sham pleading." The club maintains that Kurkova and Drury were properly expelled after years of misconduct and had ignored multiple warnings about their behavior.