The sudden death of Art Bodega founder Rebeca Herrero has sparked a heated dispute over an unreleased cover story featuring Hollywood star Billy Crudup.

Herrero, who passed away last month at 49, had spent months preparing the issue, securing Crudup to appear in support of the Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH), a nonprofit off-Broadway theater group.

Her unexpected passing left colleagues scrambling to honor her work, but the project quickly became mired in conflict.

Herrero founded Art Bodega in 2013 and published more than 100 issues, featuring celebrities like Peter Thomas Roth and "Sex and the City" author Candace Bushnell.

Landing Crudup, known for "The Morning Show," was considered a major coup. Herrero's friend, publicist Anna Rothschild, volunteered to help complete the final issue and organize a cover party.

"A few friends came together simply to try to finish the issue she had spent the past six months working on and was so excited about," Rothschild told Page Six.

Tensions arose when Rothschild contacted CTH about the planned event. The theater group claimed it had an agreement with Herrero to raise funds for the arts, aligning with both organizations' missions.

Rothschild said the theater's artistic director, Ty Jones, "went ballistic" when she explained that no funds would be collected.

Rothschild explained that an event built around cover performances wouldn't realistically draw paying audiences.

Meanwhile, CTH later clarified that it never asked for any money and denied the accusations of making threats.

Billy Crudup Cover Story Sparks Legal Dispute

Jones also reportedly threatened legal action to prevent the magazine from publishing Crudup's images.

In an email obtained by sources, he wrote, "Simply put, Billy's name, image and likeness from the shoot/interview must not be used."

CTH emphasized that Herrero's death left key editorial materials inaccessible, making it impossible to complete the issue according to her original vision.

Herrero's estranged husband, Tony Dodds, now owns Art Bodega. He said he has full rights to the Crudup photos and is working on a new website to publish the final issue.

"There's this pressure to put out this magazine that she wanted, because it was very important to her," Dodds said.

Amid the magazine dispute, Crudup shared insight into his personal life. At the New York Film Festival premiere of his new movie "Jay Kelly," he discussed how he and wife Naomi Watts support each other's careers, Yahoo reported.

"We've been doing this for a long time," Crudup told sources. They explained that both partners try their best to back each other's priorities and goals.

Watts has shown strong support as well, joining him at major events and sharing warm, personal moments with him in public.

The couple, married in 2023, often exchange acting tips and ideas without competition. Crudup joked, "Don't ever play Scrabble with her!" but emphasized, "The acting we love talking about, and we support each other's work."

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