Anna Chapman Cashes In on Spy Fame in Russia

If you thought Anna Chapman—the sort-of Russian spy whose sexy looks earned her the tabloid treatment in this country—would fade into the background back home, check out this Der Spiegel interview. She's a certifiable star, and she's cashing in quickly. What could be more American than this statement from her: "My website will be up and running soon," she says. "The contact information for my PR people will be listed there."

She's posed for revealing photos in a gossip mag, radio stations are running songwriting contests about her, and there's even rumors of a run for political office. The sympathetic Der Spiegel interviewer: "Chapman has become a fetish for a resentful nation, embodying most Russians' deep dislike of the United States," he writes. "Most of all, the Anna cult helps to gloss over the severely battered reputation of Russia's intelligence agencies." (More Anna Chapman stories.)