Elizabeth Banks' new movie Skincare is set to lift the lid on WILD true story of celebrity facialist who was accused of hiring a hitman to kill her rival
- While the film is considered fiction, it was actually inspired by real events
- Elizabeth's character is based on skincare specialist to the stars Dawn DaLuise
- She was arrested in 2014 after she was accused of hiring a hitman to kill her rival
Elizabeth Banks' upcoming movie Skincare is based on the wild true story of a celebrity facialist who was accused of hiring a hitman to kill one of her rivals.
The film, which premieres on August 16, follows a famed aesthetician named Hope Goldman, who begins to suspect that a rival beauty guru working across the street is trying to sabotage her.
Hope discovers someone has hacked her email account, sent out messages posing as her, and leaked fake photos on the web - before she sets out on a quest to take down whoever is behind it.
It certainly sounds like an exciting story that will leave viewers on the edge of their seats - but many may not realize that while the film is considered fiction, it was actually inspired by real events.
Elizabeth's character Hope is loosely based off Dawn DaLuise - a skin specialist to the stars who was accused of asking someone to kill competing aesthetician Gabriel Suarez.
Elizabeth Banks' upcoming movie Skincare is based on a wild true story of a celebrity facialist who was accused of hiring a hitman to kill one of her rivals
Dawn DaLuise was a popular Hollywood facialist whose beauty empire came crashing down in 2014, after she was arrested and charged with solicitation for murder
Dawn believed Gabriel was harassing her and trying to ruin her career and reputation, and sent a text message to a friend stating that she wanted to 'take him out.'
But it was later revealed that Gabriel was not guilty of any wrongdoing and, in reality, it was the friend who she had confided in behind the whole hate campaign.
Dawn was a popular Hollywood facialist who had racked up a large list of celebrity clients at her Santa Monica-based salon Skin Refinery, including Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicki Minaj, and Christian Slater.
But in March 2014, her beauty empire came crashing down, after she was arrested and charged with solicitation for murder.
She was taken into custody after her pal Edward Feinstein contacted authorities and said that Dawn, now 65, had told him that she had asked former NFL lineman Chris Geile to 'take out' Gabriel, who had opened his own business on the same block as her.
During her trial, Dawn claimed she had become the target of a hostile stalking campaign, and that she had received more than a thousand disturbing messages and phone calls threatening her and her family.
She also alleged that someone had spread fake lewd photos that showed her face edited onto pornographic pictures and posted Craiglist ads seeking men to act out a 'rape fantasy' with her – which included her home address - and that she believed Gabriel was behind them.
She spent 10 months in jail awaiting her trial, but was acquitted of all charges in January 2015 after authorities found no evidence that anyone acted on a plot to murder Gabriel.
She was arrested after friend Edward Feinstein told police that Dawn, now 65, had told him that she had asked someone to 'take out' competing aesthetician Gabriel Suarez (seen)
During her trial, Dawn claimed she had become the target of a hostile stalking campaign, and that she had received more than a thousand disturbing messages
Chris also testified that he was never asked to kill anyone.
And in a bizarre twist of events, police later linked the Craigslist ads to the friend who had originally turned her in, Edward, and he was arrested on suspicion of stalking.
He and another man named Nick Prugo both pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor stalking against Dawn, and were sentenced to community service in 2016.
In an interview with Dr. Phil afterwards, mom-of-two Dawn admitted to sending a text message to Edward in which she described killing Gabriel as the only 'solution' to ending the harassment and repairing her damaged reputation.
But she said she never planned to follow through with it, stating, 'I didn't do anything wrong... I was under assault and I was not guilty of a crime.'
And looking back, she said she believed Edward was the one harassing her all along, not Gabriel.
She also told People that her life was 'decimated' by the events, and revealed that had lost her business and was diagnosed with cancer while in jail.
'The miscarriage of justice is insane and overwhelming. My life is decimated. [Authorities] shot first and asked questions later,' she scathed.
She spent 10 months in jail awaiting her trial, but was acquitted of all charges in January 2015 after authorities found no evidence that anyone acted on a plot to murder Gabriel. She's seen in 2019
Skincare, which premieres on August 16, follows a famed aesthetician named Hope Goldman, who begins to suspect that a rival beauty guru is trying to sabotage her
Dawn told Page Six that she only found out about it when she saw the trailer online, and that she was worried the film could ruin future deals for her. She's seen with actor Gary Busey in 2010
Elizabeth revealed to Entertainment Weekly earlier this week that she had no idea the movie was based on a true story until 'way later into the process' of making it.
'I didn't know it at all. I had never heard about it. I was just all in on Hope Goldman and this character and the sort of milieu of LA,' she said.
Dawn, who opened a new clinic in 2018 in an attempt to revamp her career, was unamused when she found out her story had inspired the upcoming flick.
She told Page Six that she only found out about it when she saw the trailer online, and that she is worried it could ruin any future deals for her.
The beauty expert revealed she was in the midst of trying to sell her story for a documentary.
'It could rob me of my ability to tell my own story,' she scathed.
