Ball is the founder — the big cheese, the super hefe, if you will — of Rock & Republic jeans, and in this clip, he's talking about a shoot that fashion photographer Marcus Klinko had just completed for his $200 denim brand's Spring collection. Ball seems pleased with Klinko's work, right? "I look forward to working with him again and again?" Well, that wasn't quite how things ended up going down. Oh, and 'paying for this whole thing'? That didn't really happen either . . .

According to the Daily News, Klinko now alleges that Ball is trying to get away with stiffing him the $37,550 he's owed for the shoot — by threatening to go public with photos of Klinko "in a three-way romp" with two models. (Side note: can we all please just stop saying "romp"?)

This is where things get retarded. Apparently, Ball is seeking revenge after discovering a cache of (unrelated) pix of Klinko getting it on with Ball's sometime fianc e, model Fernanda Romero. Klinko has retaliated by suing Ball for $700,000 in damages — again, for threatening to release the group sex pics 46-year-old Klinko. Apparently, the photos were originally intended for publication in a "book of naked self-portraits," which we think weakens the blackmail claim, uh, somewhat. Not according to Klinko, though, who told the Daily News, "It's a total blackmail, it's extortion! He's a bully!" Well, we guess Ball is a pretty imposing bully. We know we always quake with fear when confronted with nosejobbed dudes who wear khaki shorts.

Michael Ball Interview [YouTube]
Sexy Shots Spur Blowup [NYDN]

Related: Markus Klinko and Markus Klinko & Indrani Photography v. Rock & Republic Enterprises, Inc. and Michael Ball