Model charged in murder and castration of columnist

Police have charged a 21-year-old model with murder in the death of a prominent Portuguese gossip columnist, officials said.

Renato Seabra, a Portuguese model and reality show star, was charged with second-degree murder yesterday after Carlos Castro, 65, was found beaten to death and castrated at the InterContinental Hotel in Times Square on Friday.

Seabra allegedly told cops he used a corkscrew to sever Castro's testicles to “cure his homosexuality,” according to The Daily News, citing police sources.

Seabra's mother insisted yesterday her son is not gay and was not Castro's lover, according to published reports, though friends have said the pair were dating for several months.

Cops caught Seabra after he went to Roosevelt Hospital with cuts on his wrists from an apparent suicide attempt, reports said.