According to the New York Daily News, the real Christian Grey has just stepped forward. Italian real estate agent, Alessandro Proto believes E.L. James based the main character from "Fifty Shades of Grey" off of himself.
The 39-year-old told the newspaper that he met James in 2010 when she was writing an article about celebrities who buy Italian properties. Reportedly James and Proto spent two days traveling together. Proto told the Daily News that he believes James used several aspects of their trip in her books including his business, the type of car he was driving at the time and his wardrobe.
"The firm Grey runs in the book is called Grey Enterprise Holding. Mine is called Proto Organization Holding," he told the newspaper. "When I met E.L. James I used to drive a R8 Audi."
"My office is located at the 8th floor. It is the highest in the building. I came from nothing, so I see top floors as a metaphor for achievement and success," he added.
He said the author also borrowed from his "mysterious" personality to help create Christian's character. Proto revealed that he rarely does interviews pointing out that the James' billionaire is the same way.
"Christian Grey doesn't like speaking to reporters, so he builds up a mystery that surrounds him," Proto said. "Everyone knows he made, but nobody knows how he reached success. Same with me."
Are you convinced yet? We're not too sure about this either. Proto went on to say that the only major difference between himself and Anastasia Steele's lover is how they get down in the bedroom. Christian is very much into the kinky, S&M sex while Proto said he's a bit more "old-fashioned."
"Everything that has to do with S&M is pure imagination, I assure you. I'm an old fashioned man when it comes to sex, I'm not into that kind of fantasies," he said.
The Italian real estate agent said he has tried to read James' book but apparently the steamy sex scenes was too much for him to handle.
"I started reading it because I was curious to know what the press was writing about me, but I quit after a few pages," he said. "It's really not my thing."
An interesting note from the story: a source told the Daily News that Proto has landed a cameo in the upcoming movie, which is due out Feb. 13, 2015.
What do you think? Does Alessandro Proto sound like the real -life Christian Grey?
