The gloves were on this morning as a glamorous Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, along with Princes William and Harry tried their hand at boxing during the launch of the Heads Together campaign for mental health.
The trio are heading up the new initiative focusing on providing practical help to those suffering from the stigma and issues surrounding mental health
“By putting our heads together we can all make a huge difference,” Prince Harry said at the event.
Before the Duchess, Duke and Prince delivered their serious message, they lightened things up with a bit of a sparring session to send the message that exercise can improve mental health.
The royals arrive at the Heads Together reception before their boxing class.
Cutting a stylish figure in a Banana Republic skirt and white blouse, Kate pulled on a pair of gloves to punch hand pads worn by former professional boxer Duke McKenzie.
The 34-year-old laughed at her own efforts but Duke wasn’t so quick to dismiss her, stating the graceful brunette had a “mean right hand!”
Check out the royals’ boxing form! Post continues below.
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Meanwhile Harry was all business, delivering the punches hard and fast. “He couldn’t wait to get the gloves on,” Duke quipped.
“He was giving me the eye and couldn’t wait to take me out!”
During the session, the 31-year-old revealed he often uses boxing as a way to get rid of stress.
It showed, with the former professional boxer saying of the young prince, “I’ve boxed my whole life, and he’s got a fair punch on him!”
Mental health is an important issue for the young royals, with all three having previously spoken out on various topics in the past. They all gave stirring speeches during the event in support of the initiative.
Wills tried his hardest to look serious when donning the gloves.
“Too often people feel afraid to admit they are struggling with mental health,” Kate said. ”This fear of judgement stops people from getting the help they need, which can destroy families and lives.”
Her brother-in-law continued: “We do not want prejudice and fear to stand in the way of people getting the help they need to cope with life.
“As the year progresses, the three of us – working with all of you in this room and others who will join us along the way – want to come up with practical ways of providing everyone who needs help with the right support and care.”
Harry didn’t pull any punches!
The Duke and father-of-two finished off the strong messages: “The more we talk about mental health, the more normal the topic becomes, and the more we feel able to open up and seek support.
“By asking for help, by telling a friend we have a problem, by asking someone else how they feel – by having a conversation – we take the first step to feeling better about ourselves. And the first step to being able to cope better with the ups and the downs of life.”
The royal group hope their involvement along with the partner charities involved in the initiative will help restart and maintain the national conversation on mental health.
As if we needed any more of a reason to love them!
Troubled singer Sinead O’Connor has been found safe after disappearing during a bicycle ride in Chicago in the early hours of Sunday morning.
When she still hadn’t returned after several hours, a friend called police and reported her missing, causing officers to release an alert classifying Sinead, 48, as a “missing suicidal”.
After more than a day, police found Sinead, reporting she was “safe and well” but refusing to divulge where or how they found her.
Just hours before she went missing, Sinead had posted a bizarre rant on social media that seemed to be directed at her eldest son, Jake.
“Jake, kindly go to the court on Tuesday and take custody your brother from Tusla. My lawyer will be making the illegal way yourself and Donal got him into Tusla (lying to the cops etc) known to the judge,” wrote O’Connor.
“Expect to be in trouble. In fact you’d best bring a lawyer of your own. And do not abandon your brother or any other of my babies again. What you have done to your brother and your mother is LITERALLY criminal.”
There have been fears for Sinead’s health since 2015 when she revealed in a Facebook post that she had taken an overdose.
“There is only so much any woman can be expected to bear,” she wrote. “Well done guys, you’ve finally got rid of me. Sorry the penny didn’t drop sooner. I’m an idiot.”
When my marriage ended two years ago my neighbours circled like gulls to ascertain what the new living arrangements at my gaff were.
If you’ve never read my blog, Keeping UpWith The Holsbys, I’ll fill you in quickly – When my marriage had just ended I did a remarkable job of pretending it was business as usual. I wore bright lipstick, stuck a smile on my face and I drank a lot of wine.
My shituation was under control.
As I stepped out of my front gate I would be swooped upon by curious suburban neighbourly types fishing for information to which I’m infuriatingly schtum.
My best buddy suggested we build a man-sized mound of dirt in the back yard to really “f__k with them.” I personally thought that was pure gold. I could make it the new naughty corner and really look like the Mansons were living there.
I explained the situation to my direct neighbours because they’re home a lot. Living alone with my small kids now, I thought having some neighbourhood watch was a sound plan.
There was one particular Mrs Mangle nosy neighbour a few doors down whom I had avoided for about a year because I didn’t dig her swag. Neighbourhood gossip ain’t my bag, and although pleasant enough, there’s not enough time for the people I’m crazy about let alone ones I’m lukewarm on.
So, the nice young family next door was having a pretend picnic with their dinosaurs and teddies on a lovely rug in the gentle winter sun, and I stepped onto my back deck (which in awesome suburban style looks straight onto their greying knickers on the Hills Hoist).
I gave them a ‘nice day for it’ salute and we all felt fuzzy for a moment and went about our business, until I heard my name being yelled across two gardens and a couple of fences by Mrs Mangle.
“Danieeeeeellle, where’s your husband? I haven’t seen him lately. Is he here? I saw him packing boxes into the car a couple of months ago.”
It was like a punch in the face to be honest. I could see the pretend picnic slowly sinking into the ground as they wished for invisibility and I did that thing where your tummy drops and you nearly wet yourself.
“He doesn’t live here anymore” I yelled back “but perhaps over two fences and two gardens and a teddy bear’s picnic isn’t the best way to chat about it.”
Then I stalked into the house, slamming the sliding door enough to shatter the glass into a million pieces – At least in my head I did. I really just politely closed it grumbling to myself because even though I never want to speak to her again I still want her to like me.
The other comment I love from well-meaning thoughtless folk is;
“Wow, you have every second weekend off from your kids. You’re so lucky.”
Yes, I am lucky. Because my marriage didn’t work out how we planned and I’m a single mum juggling to keep two kids alive, and be the sole bread winner.
I get two days a fortnight to try and regain sanity. It’s awesomesauce. Everyone should have a crack at it.
In truth, the weekend thing is nice, but in an ideal world everything works out swell and you get a little ‘me’ time and family time is balanced and everything is shiny and life is played to the ‘Family Ties’ theme song…
“I bet we’ve been together for a million years, I bet we’ll be together for a million more…. sha la la laaa.”
I’d also like to say if you have a distant acquaintance going through this, asking them about their financial status is actually rude. Asking me how I’m getting along financially is a little bit like asking me if my bowels are regular, and what’s the consistency?
But I’m not immune to putting my foot in my mouth. In fact, I’ve put my foot so far in my mouth on occasion, it was easier to remove it rectally than it was to cough it up, so I’m not judging anyone for their lack of tact… however, if you’d care to express concern or curiosity for a friend buy a $5 flowers and invite yourself over for a cup of tea.
Like I would do.
Or simply grab their hand, look them in the eye, and ask them;
“Are you cool? Can I do anything?”
They’ll most likely say “yes, I’m cool,” and “no, you can’t” because that’s what we do, so you’ll be off the hook but at least you weren’t a thoughtless dick.
Danielle Colley
*Danielle Colley is a writer, blogger and mum. She is a regular contributer to The Weekly and other online and print publications.
Singer, survivor and the ultimate style icon! As Cher celebrates her 70th birthday we turn back time to look at the star’s most memorable moments.
From her early days in the Seventies performing with her then-husband Sonny Bono in the hugely popular Sonny And Cher to later becoming a superstar in her own right and scoring a slew of coveted accolades including an Oscar, a Grammy, an Emmy and three Golden Globes – this multi-talented performer is success personified.
But for Cher – real name Cherilyn Sarkisian – there was no other option than achieving dizzying-levels of triumph.
“When I was a little girl, I saw Cinderella with my mother. I started singing the songs from it, and I told her, ‘This is what I am going to do.’ I was 3, and I never changed my mind. I wanted to be famous. I wanted this,” she once told Parade Magazine of her resolute determination.
Fast forward to 2016 and famous is an understatement. Worth around $USD305 million and with over 100 million records sold world-wide, Cher has truly cemented her legendary status as one of the most iconic and influential figures in the entertainment industry.
A fresh-faced Cher shows off her incredibly striking features as she cuddles up to husband Salvatore Phillip “Sonny” Bono during a music proms tour in 1965.
The Eighties were a tough time for us all but Cher somehow defies the odds and absolutely owns it!
Cher met Sonny by chance at a cafe in LA in 1962 when she was just 16 and he was 27. They married in 1964 and went on to welcome daughter Chastity – who know goes by Chaz – in 1969.
But with fame comes great pressure and the couple sadly divorced in 1975. Sonny then went on to peruse a political career but tragically passed away from a skiing accident in 1998. “[He treated me] more like a golden goose than like his wife. I forgive him, I think. He hurt me in so many ways,” the singer has said of Sonny. Watch Cher talk about her love life in the next slide. Gallery continues after the video…
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The ultimate powerhouse! Michael Jackson strikes a pose with the Strong Enough hitmaker at the Dreamgirls opening night in Los Angeles in 1983.
One smouldering pout, plus an epic headdress and a sequinned bralet make for a very eye-catching ensemble at the 1986 Oscars. Bravo Cher, bravo.
The look of love is written across Cher’s face as she gazes into husband Gregg Allman’s eyes. The pair were married from 1975 to 1979.
Why wear a boring ball gown when you’ve got flat abs to show off and Oscars to win? It’s 1988 and the trailblazer is rocking a very revealing number as she bags herself an Academy Award for Best Actress thanks to her portrayal of Loretta Castorini in Moonstruck.
The queen of reinvention earns a legions of new of fans as she teams up with Winona Ryder and a baby-faced Christina Ricci in the 1990 flick, Mermaids.
Cher beams with pride after presenting son Chaz with his GLAAD Award in 2012. The singer has been a pillar of strength throughout Chaz’s transition. “Chaz has the most courage of anyone I know,” she has said.
The superstar proves she’s still got it!
The statuesque beauty, joined by designer Marc Jacobs, stuns at the 2015 Met Gala in New York.
Looking fierce and flawless in a fringed top, high-waisted trousers and a retro bandanna as she leaves the Late Show with David Letterman in New York May, 2015.
Thomas Towle was set free yesterday on early parole, returning to his Bendigo home with family members, to the disgust and horror of his victim’s families.
“He can hug his kids, watch TV with them and watch them grow up to become adults,” Richard Prowse, uncle of two of Towle’s teenage victims told Nine News.
“We don’t have that. We can’t watch them grow up.”
Towle killed six teenagers – Abby Hirst, 17, Stevie-Lee Weight, 15, and 16-year-olds Shane Hirst, Cassandra Manners, Cory Dowling and Josephine Calvi – when his car ploughed into them as they left a party near Mildura in 2006.
He was driving at high speed with his four-year-old son on his lap and fled the scene of the crash on foot, leaving his child in the car.
Police found him and he was convicted of manslaughter in 2008 and sentenced to 10 years in prison, but was released on parole in 2013. He subsequently breached his parole and was imprisoned again in 2014.
“We’re still in shock because he’s been released on parole,” Mr Prowse said. “The sentence should have been a lot longer.”
How adorable! The now consciously uncoupled couple have reunited in the happiest place on earth and it’s all for the sake of their kids.
Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin took time out of their busy schedules to spend time together with their children Apple and Moses at Disneyland for their daughter’s 12th birthday on Sunday.
The twosome posted the cutest picture on Instagram featuring the actress smiling coyly and the Coldplay frontman outright grinning, showing the amazing closeness between the former lovers.
Alongside the adorable image of the couple hiding out at the rocks beneath Thunder Mountain was the caption, “When your parents can’t handle Thunder Mountain anymore so they wait for you at the bottom. #Disneyland #thehappiesplaceonearth #birthdayweekend.”
Gwyneth and Chris look so happy and relaxed together.
But despite the hesitance to conquer the mountain roller-coaster, Chris was spotted hopping on rides with Moses throughout the day.
The family tried to keep things low-key and blend in but that didn’t stop several people spotting the celebs, with one Twitter user posting a photo with the caption, “Chris Martin just walked past me!”
Disneyland marked the end of Apple’s special birthday weekend, which had kicked off the day before with a special brunch attended by some of her famous friends, including Beyonce and Jay-Z’s daughter Blue Ivy.
Gwyneth chats about how the pair co-parent since their split. Post continues below.
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The 43-year-old actress and entrepreneur has previously said her relationship with the 39-year-old singer is even better now they aren’t married anymore.
“It’s like we are still a family but not a couple,” she told Marie Claire previously.
“I think we are better as friends than we were. We are very close and supportive of one another.”
The dessert master has returned to the TV kitchen having whipped up the ultimate test for this year’s batch of cooks.
Set to put the contestants through their paces with a 10-element, seven-page dessert, the 22-year-old visited the Woman’s Day office to chat about his exciting appearance.
“When they called me up I was genuinely shocked and surprised – I just didn’t expect it,” the bright chef quipped.
Reynold dropped by the office…
Armed with his tantalising dessert.
“I was really surprised. I mean last year, after I got booted, they said we might see you setting the pressure test – but I honestly thought they were joking or being polite!”
There couldn’t be a better fit than the Masterchef alum, who is now a proud restaurateur.
Reynold and his brother Arnold are running KOI dessert bar in Chippendale.
Reynold’s Instagram is a culinary journey! “Matcha, yuzu, shiso & strawberry (watermelon this month) with rhubarb consomme.”
“Before Mastechef I was studying nutrition [I still have a year left]. My main goal was to open up a dessert bar and now that’s my reality,” he shared.
One of Koi’s signature dishes, Moss, will be tonight’s pressure test.
We were lucky enough to try the delectable dessert. And boy was it all kinds of spectacular. If we were wearing a cravat, we’d have to take it off. Immunity pin good.
The dessert king hard at work at KOI
“It’s a dish I’ve been working on with flavours of green I did a pop up last year and I made a dish called moss which I was inspired by the earth. I wanted it to look earthy while tasting delicious – think charred apple, aero yoghurt, dulce de leche, matcha, pistachio sponge and green-apple sorbet.”
So how did Reynold’s unsuspecting victims hold up?
“You’ll have to watch and see,” he laughed.
Some of his Masterchef delights
“They went really well! They really surprised me. Every season everyone does better and better. The cooks seem to love experimenting – playing around with different flavours and techniques. And it really shows!”
His advice to the class of 2016 is to have fun!
“I miss it – it was amazing. The people you meet are brilliant,” he gushed, adding they all still stay in touch. “We all have a whatsapp group! We are all proud of each other and all still close!”
The new batch of home cooks!
Before we let Reynold return to the kitchen, we asked a few fun questions!
What is your fall back dinner: Mi goreng
Hidden talent: Gaming
Annoying habit: I still live at home so probably not cleaning my room
Dream super power : Flying!
I would spend my last $10 on a bowl of pho.
I’d like to have dinner with American chef Grant Achatz
And finally if a genie could grant you three wishes :
I’d want an amazing memory so I could remember everything!
Two decades ago, laser technology was still in its infancy. Long down-times, nasty side- effects and high costs prevented many from undergoing laser and light therapies.
Today, these treatments are a booming trend – often used to assist with hair and tattoo removal, and to treat a range of skin concerns, including acne, hyperpigmentation and wrinkles.
“Laser and light and related treatments are a rapidly evolving and exciting area, with new treatments and devices becoming available,” says Sydney dermatologist Dr John Sullivan. “Best results often involve tailored treatments combining laser and light treatments at the same time.”
Those seeking a non-invasive way to enhance skin appearance will often explore the realm of lasers.
This is because laser treatments are safer and more effective than they were in the ’90s, provided they are used by trained professionals.
“Lasers are not highly regulated in Australia, which means anyone can buy and use the machines,” says Sydney dermatologist Dr Eleni Yiasemides. “In untrained hands, they can cause scarring and permanent pigment changes. Treatments on the face should be done in a doctor’s clinic.”
Different uses of lasers
When it comes to lasers, it’s not a one-size-fits-all – what works for one person may not work for another. This largely depends on the severity of the problem being treated, the skin tone of the person and the different laser wavelengths. Here’s our guide to the latest laser treatments and how to know if they will work for you.
Ablative and non-ablative lasers
Lasers are divided into two main groups: ablative (which remove the top layer of skin) and non-ablative (which don’t damage the skin’s surface).
“The ablative lasers are more expensive and have a higher rate of complications, and should only be used by a doctor,” says Dr Yiasemides. “Ablative lasers include the erbium and carbon dioxide lasers. They are ablative to the skin and create better results than non-ablative, but have a longer down-time [usually two weeks] and more risks of scarring and permanent pigment change of the skin – like white marks [hypopigmentation].
“These days, they are usually fractionated [only a percentage or fraction of the skin area] to reduce side-effects and down-time. They are good for acne scars and photo-ageing of the skin, and can reduce wrinkles, uneven skin tone and improve the complexion.”
This type of laser is better suited to fairer skin types, as darker skin tones are more prone to permanent whitening of the skin.
Non-ablative lasers include all the Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) machines, vascular, pigment and hair removal lasers. “These are generally safer compared to the ablative lasers, but still carry risks,” explains Dr Yiasemides.
These include mild redness and changes in skin colour. Although these lasers have less down-time, patients usually need multiple treatments for best results.
Fat removal
New laser treatments claiming to reduce stubborn body fat are popular in clinics around Australia. One of these is SculpSure – a laser treatment which was approved for non-invasive lipolysis of the flanks and abdomen in Australia in November 2015 and has also been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
According to a clinical study of 100 patients, the treatment can reduce the fat layer thickness by up to 24 per cent. Over time, the body naturally eliminates the disrupted fat cells and results take between six to 12 weeks.
It has no down-time, but there can be slight discomfort during the procedure. Each treatment takes only 25 minutes.
Post-treatment side-effects can include tenderness in the treated areas and mild redness that lasts a few hours.
Prices are approximately $500 for a small area (two applicators) and $1000 for a large area (four applicators).
Hair removal
Laser hair removal involves a direct beam of light on the hair follicle, inhibiting the hair’s ability to grow, without disrupting or damaging the skin’s surface.
“Laser hair removal is the fast, gentle and effective way to remove unwanted hair with permanent results,” Aleesha Paul from Laser Clinics Australia says. “We use medical grade Candela GentleLase Pro and GentleYag Pro. The Candela GentleLase Pro is designed to work for clients with dark hair and lighter skin, while the GentleYag Pro works best on a darker skin tone. Darker hair types work best; blonde, silver or red hair cannot be treated with laser. Laser works by emitting one single wavelength of light, maximising laser penetration to the targeted area. It is attracted to dark pigment on and within the skin.”
Between eight and 12 treatments are usually required for permanent results. Hair removal is relatively pain-free and is best done in winter, as sun exposure must be avoided for two weeks pre- and post-treatment. Prices range from $60 per treatment (for areas on the face) to $400 (for full body).
Tattoo removal
According to Dr Yiasemides, the new picosecond lasers for tattoo removal >are common. Yet multiple treatments are needed and won’t effectively clear tattoos that contain green, some reds and yellow.
“It is extremely painful and generally requires anaesthetic,” she says. “[The] main issues are scarring and permanent hyperpigmentation.”
This treatment starts at $150 and can increase to $1500 per treatment, depending on the size of the tattoo.
Acne
If prescription creams or antibiotics aren’t working, laser might be an acne treatment option.
“Although often used to treat acne, intense pulsed light (IPL), light and lasers have only led to limited short-term benefits and have not been an effective long-term control therapy,” says Dr Sullivan.
“The benefits, however, of light and laser can be enhanced and prolonged by pre-treating the skin with a light-active gel prior to illumination, such as is seen with the newly TGA [Therapeutic Goods Administration] approved Kleresca BioPhotonic acne treatment,” he says.
“[The] treatment safely and painlessly provides longer term [six or more months] clinically significant benefits in even relatively severe acne. This involves the application of a gel to affected areas followed by illumination under a multi-wavelength high-intensity in-clinic LED light for nine minutes twice a week for six weeks. The light-active gel treatment kills the bacteria that cause acne and enhances the skin’s recovery and healing response. There is no down-time.” Dr Sullivan says significant benefits usually take several weeks.
About 12 treatments are needed at about $200 per session.
Anti-ageing
Lasers can improve the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and dark spots caused by sun damage. One of the greatest appeals is that these treatments don’t involve injectables.
“Lasers really help improve the complexion, texture and tone of the skin,” says Dr Yiasemides. “Most women benefit more from laser compared to Botox and fillers. Women with smooth, even, unblemished complexions are perceived to look more youthful and healthy compared to those who don’t have good complexions.”
According to Dr Sullivan, IPL works in a similar way to laser, delivering a range of wavelengths which allows multiple skin changes to be targeted at the same time.
“By adjusting the wavelengths of light used, along with the pulse duration and energy, IPL can have a broad range of beneficial skin effects,” he says. “A medical IPL can reduce capillaries plus redness and, at the same time, also address freckles, uneven pigment, age spots, shrink pores and have a general skin rejuvenating effect.”
IPL ranges in price from $150 to $500 for a full face.
If you have one particular problem, such as broken capillaries, vascular laser may be more beneficial.
This works by emitting a single wavelength of light in a focused, synchronised pulse.
“They can be used to selectively target a specific skin change or condition,” explains Dr Sullivan. “This allows the laser to destroy the lesion being treated while leaving the surrounding tissue unharmed.”
Vascular laser treatments range from $150 to $300 for the face.
To improve collagen, Dr Yiasemides recommends Fraxel and Emerge lasers.
“They use fractionated technology to send laser heat down the dermis to help improve the collagen and elastin in skin,” she says. “They are great for tightening the skin, reducing fine lines, improving the complexion, toning and reducing the size of pores.”
These types of lasers are more painful and can range from $400 to $1000, depending on the area treated.
Stretch marks
Stretch marks are caused by a lack of collagen and elastin during times of intense growth. These scar-like streaky areas that appear in over-stretched skin can be tough to get rid of.
“Stretch marks generally improve with time,” says Dr Sullivan. “For those with recent red stretch marks, vascular laser and IPL can be good options; for older stretch marks, non-ablative fractionated laser.”
Although mildly painful, it will help remove redness and regenerate the skin’s natural collagen. Fractional laser treatments for stretch marks can range from $400 to $1000, depending on the area treated.
This story originally appeared in the May 2016 issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.
When Daniel Wildenstein, the world’s wealthiest art dealer, died aged 84 in 2001, his high society clients took comfort in the belief the venerable family business would carry on as usual.
After all, Daniel’s two sons, Guy and Alec, were just as suave, dashing and – if necessary – as ruthless as their dad and the power of the Wildenstein name to get big deals done was undiminished.
The first indication things might be different came with the startling revelation that Daniel had left just $65 million.
This for a man who lived in one of Paris’s grandest residences, whose private art collection was filled with masterpieces by the likes of Picasso, Monet and Renoir, who travelled the world by private jet and owned Europe’s leading racehorse stable.
In the realms of the high-priced art world, tongues began to wag. How, people asked, was this possible?
Today, at France’s highest court – an ornate 18th-Century pile on the site of a former royal palace – the talk is of a naked Russian starlet, an alleged underworld murder contract, a $5 million cosmetic surgery bill and a fluffed-up, homesick poodle called Dolly.
Officially, the case opening in May is about allegations of tax fraud, but to a breathless public it is the story of the vengeance of the Wildenstein wives.
Prosecutors claim that when Daniel died during an operation to remove a tumour in 2001, his sons concealed hundreds of millions of dollars in art treasures, property holdings and cash from the French tax authorities.
Instead of the $65 million cited as Daniel’s worth, the real figure, according to court papers, should have been almost $7 billion. Conning the taxman was one thing. The fatal mistake the Wildensteins appear to have made was trying to fool the women in their lives.
Much of the case is based on testimony from Daniel’s widow, Sylvia, and Alec’s two ex-wives, Jocelyne and Liouba.
All three have alleged the famously secretive dynasty tried to cheat them out of financial settlements.
Daniel Wildenstein and his wife Sylvia.
Dense with money, sex, power and intrigue, the case has been billed as “Dallas-sur-Seine” in the French press, but the fallout is also being felt in the world of politics and especially in the sleek, discreet ranks of the fine art trade.
Ever since the Wildenstein dynasty was founded 135 years ago by Nathan Wildenstein, a sharp-eyed Jewish cloth merchant from eastern France, its ability to out-manoeuvre rivals to secure the best paintings at the best prices has been a source of envy and wonder.
“They are extraordinarily mysterious,” says John Walsh, former director of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. “People who have been in the art business all their lives can only guess at what the family actually owns. Think Aladdin’s cave and then some.”
A Paris art dealer, who wishes to remain anonymous, says, “Every now and then, the Wildensteins will sell a painting which hasn’t been heard of for about 50 years and the art world will say, ‘Ah, so that’s where it was’.”
The first rumblings of trouble began shortly before Daniel’s death, when Alec, who ran the lucrative New York business, fell out with Jocelyne, an exotic, Swiss-born socialite with whom he had two children.
Returning to the couple’s $35 million Manhattan townhouse one evening, she claims to have found him with a naked, 19-year-old Russian actress. To make matters worse, Alec then pulled a gun on her, later telling police he had mistaken her for a burglar.
The divorce that followed contained allegations of astonishing excess – $350,000 for a Chanel dress, $10 million jewellery shopping trips and millions spent on extreme plastic surgery.
Jocelyne supposedly wanted to look like one of the jungle cats that roamed the family’s ranch in Kenya, but instead found herself lampooned as “The Bride of Wildenstein”.
Despite living in one of the most expensive homes in New York (plus a French château and the vast African ranch), running a private jet and a full-time household staff of 10, Alec swore on oath that he earned only $130,000 a year.
The money, he explained, was a wage from his father. Everything else was a grace-and-favour arrangement provided for by family trusts.
Eventually, Jocelyne accepted a world-record settlement of $3.3 billion. Yet the struggle to secure it turned her against the Wildenstein family forever.
Back in Paris, Alec’s father, Daniel, was ailing. An old-school operator possessed of great charm and ferocious resolve, he had masterminded the dynasty’s rise to a position of dominance among the world’s art houses.
Sylvia Wildenstein
Sylvia, his second wife, had lived with him for almost 20 years before they married in 1978.
“We were visiting New York,” she told me in an interview shortly before her death in 2010, “and we came out of the hotel and there was a taxi waiting, with my parents in the back, and we headed downtown. He never asked. There was no proposal. He just told me we were getting married. That’s how he was. He made the decisions and I accepted them, because, despite everything, he was the sweetest man.
“When I asked him why, after all this time, he had decided to marry me, he just smiled, and said, ‘To protect you from my children’.”
Not long after Daniel’s funeral, the brothers came to call on Sylvia. According to her version, the meeting was polite but to the point.
She claimed she was told that she must sign away her rights to Daniel’s estate in exchange for a monthly allowance.
Otherwise, she would face devastating inheritance liabilities and a possible criminal investigation into the Wildenstein finances.
Yet, soon after signing, Sylvia was told she must leave the sumptuous home on the Avenue Montaigne – Paris’s smartest street – which she and Daniel had shared for 40 years. It was in this privileged neighbourhood that she liked to meet her friends for lunch each day and walk her meringue-like dog, Dolly, under the chestnut trees.
“They said we had to be out in nine days,” Sylvia told me, “and when I said this was impossible, I was given a month. I had to move to a smaller place near a traffic island. Poor Dolly. For me, it was bad, but I have been through bad things. For Dolly, it was unbearable. I could not forgive them.”
When Sylvia discovered her allowance had been cut and four of her racehorses transferred into a family trust, she called a lawyer.
“I thought,” she said, “if they don’t keep their word, they will have to pay.”
It was from this call that this trial stems. On the receiving end was one of Paris’s celebrated lawyers, Claude Dumont-Beghi, a chic, fifty-something brunette with a reputation for taking on rich and powerful interests. Some years ago, when an airline refused to pay her fees, she sued and ended up owning a Boeing 747.
“I try not to get personally involved,” she tells me from her office near the Longchamp racecourse, where Daniel’s horses galloped to victory. “But I did feel Sylvia had been badly treated and I thought there must be something strange going on when enormously rich people could pretend to be poor.”
Claude publicly alleged that the Wildensteins were hiding their wealth in what she characterised as a dubious web of trusts held in offshore tax havens and that priceless works of art were routinely shuttled around the world to disguise their true domicile.
In France, the Wildensteins enjoy the status of unofficial royalty. They give generously to charity, entertain in epic style, bestow an aura of sophistication on any event they attend and endow the Wildenstein Institute, containing the world’s largest collection of books and documents on the history of art.
When police raided the building four years ago, they found 30 valuable works of art hidden in the vaults. Several of these are now the subject of further lawsuits by collectors who claim the Wildensteins had no right to them.
The decision to prosecute the family was considered sufficiently momentous for it to be announced in the French parliament. Down the years, many government figures have had close relationships with the Wildensteins – notably former President Nicolas Sarkozy, who hopes to return to office next year – leading to claims that the family has enjoyed political protection.
The most poignant figure in the case is perhaps the third Wildenstein wife, Liouba, 43, a Russian-born model turned sculptress, who married Alec in 2000 following his divorce from Jocelyne.
She says their time together was “wonderfully happy”, much of it spent on the 3000-hectare ranch in Kenya, but when Alec died in 2008, Liouba, too, had unexpected problems securing an inheritance.
She claims lawyers told her Alec had large debts and to avoid being liable she would have to sign away all rights to his estate. When she protested, she says, “they declared war on me”, to the point that a contract was put out on her life.
“They went for me psychologically,” she told a French magazine earlier this year. “They attacked my integrity, they tried to suffocate me financially and, in the end, they tried to poison me.”
Although prosecutors accept Liouba has co-operated with the investigation, she faces a money-laundering charge, linked to the wider tax fraud allegations.
“It is absurd,” she says. “I have received nothing. I have been left penniless. I can’t afford to repair the heater in my apartment. I had to sell my clothes. Now the tax people say I owe them $125 million.”
Guy Wildenstein, the current head of the dynasty, has fought a long, expensive battle to stop the case coming to court, employing armies of lawyers to seek a less dramatic resolution. In January, however, a judge ruled that Guy, 70, Alec’s son, Alec Jnr and three financial aides must stand trial. They could each face 10 years in jail and huge fines.
Guy – dapper, socially reticent and religious – says he believed the family’s trusts were legal and denies any attempt at tax-dodging.
“These arrangements were made by my father,” he said in his only interview. “He never talked to me about things like this, never consulted me. He knew finance was not my strong point. After his death, when we were criticised for not paying enough tax, I ordered we stop using the trusts.”
He claims the financial offer to Sylvia was sketched out by her husband and reflected his fear that
she would not be able to manage a complicated inheritance. Of Liouba, he said, “I do not respect her word.”
Of particular interest to those who follow the affairs of the Wildensteins is the light the trial will throw on their way of life and the treasures they own. Nathan coined the motto, “Never buy a painting you can’t afford to keep”, and the family has stayed true to his word, saving the best for themselves. By some estimates, their horde contains more than 10,000 paintings.
In amassing such wealth and the power that goes with it, the family appears to have forgotten that art is also a hallmark of civilised values.
The Wildenstein women are about to offer a timely reminder.
This story originally appeared in the May issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.
However feminist we think we are most of us have trouble keeping our inner bitch under control at times, particularly when it comes to other women.
Camilla Parker-Bowles, Sarah Ferguson, Rose Porteous (Lang Hancock’s second wife), Lindy Chamberlain, Linda Kozlowski (Paul Hogan’s second wife), Liz Taylor and Jackie Kennedy Onassis endured savage public criticism from other women.
Porteous was a gold digger, Kozlowski a home-wrecker. Jackie Kennedy was a perfect mother and grieving widow until she turned her back on Camelot and the Kennedys to marry a wealthy old man. She wasn’t redeemed until the sordid truth around Jack Kennedy’s behaviour finally came out and, even then, Aristotle Onassis had to die before we completely forgave her.
Lindy Chamberlain didn’t respond to baby Azaria’s death as we thought she should and we hated her for it. She didn’t cry in public. She must be guilty.
Elizabeth Taylor, whose beauty and sex appeal were legendary, said, astutely, “Other women like me best when I’m fat and miserable”.
So why are we – modern, educated, generally kind-hearted ladies – so hard on each other? Psychologist Amanda Ferguson explains the reasons we have trouble playing nice.
Why are we so hard on other women even when they’re our friends?
Successful, ambitious, attractive people can make us feel insecure and uncertain of our own abilities. There’s a primitive instinct to attack. There’s some evidence that Australians are less generous than we should be in acknowledging other people’s good points.
Why do we look for flaws?
Because we’re human! However, we’re more likely to be critical of others if we’re bored, unfulfilled, unproductive and insecure. It takes a lot of courage to overcome this. Men are competitive too usually about status, wealth and women. On a primitive level we feel elevated when we pull someone down. The feeling is very short lived!
Why do we think thin, beautiful, rich people must be happy?
Because it LOOKS like they should be. Unhappiness is harder to grapple with when there isn’t an obvious reason for it. I have many clients who look back to when they were thin and beautiful and realise they were still unhappy. Looking good is not the answer.
Why do we always blame “the other woman”? What about the man? Isn’t he at fault too?
The man is the object of desire so he’s “protected”. A wife attacks the other woman but not her husband. She wants to keep him. It’s easier to blame the “home wrecker”.
How do we control our “inner bitch” and keep our own friends for life?
The truth is that most friendships end eventually. Maintaining a friendship group as we age is hard. If you really value the group give it space and have other friends beyond it. Feeling sentimental about the ones we have, even when they’re driving us crazy, gets in the way of meeting new people.
Why do women still hope for or expect happy endings?
Women are heavily socialised to have and do it all. A monogamous heterosexual partner who marries us for life is still held up to girls as the ideal. Fortunately, this is slowly giving way to a diverse set of real alternatives. But we still like to keep men close for the protection of the clan!
Amanda Ferguson is a psychologist in private practice in Mosman, Sydney. She is the author of Life Works: Rediscover Yourself and Transform Your Relationships (Harper Collins 2002).
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