Selfies can be slippery, as Rihanna learned during a Clippers game when she dropped L.A. Police Commission President Steve Soboroff’s iPhone 5 after taking a courtside photo.
But the pop star was able to turn the situation around, autographing the cracked phone and turning it into a charity fundraising opportunity.
Soboroff tweeted a photo of Rihanna snapping the selfie of them the day after the May 9 game, explaining “.@rihanna took #selfie at @LAClippers game. … Ps. She dropped the phone.”
A few minutes later, he tweeted a follow-up photo, showing him mouth agape as his phone lay on the hardwood court, with Rihanna next to him covering her mouth with both hands. The accompanying text said he’d auction his “cracked screen @rihanna #selfie phone” to benefit the Los Angeles Police Foundation.
High bidder for my cracked screen @rihanna #selfie phone gets the prize. Proceeds to @lapdhq foundation pic.twitter.com/Lb3J8Svk9t
— Steve Soboroff (@SteveSoboroff) May 10, 2014
The next day, Soboroff sweetened the deal, tweeting out that he’d run into Rihanna at another Clippers game. “Said sorry for breaking my phone & signed it,” he wrote, adding a photo of him holding the autographed iPhone. On it, Rihanna had written, “Sorry I ? LAPD.”
Saw @rihanna at @LAClippers. Said sorry for breaking my phone & signed it. Auction for @LAPoliceFdtn soon! @LAPDHQ pic.twitter.com/aA7ZqePsTX
— Steve Soboroff (@SteveSoboroff) May 11, 2014
Rihanna followed up Soboroff’s tweet with one of her own the next day. “Sorry I broke your phone,” she tweeted, adding that a special announcement was coming.
Sorry I broke your phone @SteveSoboroff 🙂 @takepartlive 10PM ET on @pivot_tv @LAPoliceFdtn #specialannouncement #tonight
— Rihanna (@rihanna) May 13, 2014
The big news, as Soboroff announced Tuesday, was that Rihanna would donate $25,000 to a fund for police cadets and fallen officers.
Soboroff then listed the cracked, autographed iPhone on eBay, where it quickly racked up bids. “UNREAL!” Soboroff tweeted Wednesday as the phone’s selling price reached $22,600, mentioning the pop star’s $25,000 donation.
UNREAL! Thx to @rihanna my smashed phone at $22,600 on @eBay + her $25K all benefitting @LAPoliceFdtn. 1 day to bid: https://t.co/qfFRETdMFL
— Steve Soboroff (@SteveSoboroff) May 14, 2014
EBay’s official Twitter account joined the action, tweeting a photo of the autographed phone Thursday, the day the auction ended.
RT to thank @rihanna for her support of the @LAPoliceFdtn! Auction ends today! https://t.co/chICwtqHZC pic.twitter.com/JgMdq8ppNH
— eBay (@eBay) May 15, 2014
In the end, the phone sold for $66,500 after receiving 116 bids, as eBay’s website showed.
