There have been many trials and tribulations involving the rich and famous lately. Ubiquitous socialite Paris Hilton, music producer Phil Spector and former head of BP Lord Browne to name a few. The troubles incurred by these well known people provide media fodder for the entertainment hungry masses, despite their situations being far from entertaining. There’s something compelling about ‘those more fortunate’ having a hard time (makes a difference from hearing about ‘those less fortunate’ I guess).
One trial that I‘ve been following closely though is that of Conrad Black, or Lord Black of Crossharbour to give him his full title. He is the former head of media empire Hollinger International, which published newspapers such as the Daily Telegraph in the UK and the Chicago Sun-Times in America. Conrad Black was accused of siphoning off millions and millions of dollars from Hollinger, through various corporate means, of which I won’t bore you here – details of the trial are widely available on the net.
Apart from the corporate payments that were said to have been unauthorised, it was the lavish lifestyle that Conrad and his wife, Barbara Amiel (aka Lady Black), lead that drew attention to the issue of mismanagement of funds. It was claimed that Hollinger cash was used for their personal entertaining, including a birthday bash for her, which was hosted at La Grenouille, a top restaurant in New York.
The party, for 80 of their close friends, cost over $60,000. However, it was the payment of just $20,000 out of the Black’s pockets, with the remainder being picked up by Hollinger, that drew suspicion. I met Barbara Amiel once at a cocktail party in London sometime ago and it was easy to see that she was used to the finer things in life. A stunningly elegant woman, she had an air of superiority about her, even though she couldn’t have been a nicer person.
Black has always claimed his innocence (in terms of the birthday bash, he said there were Hollinger clients present and therefore the balance could be put down as a business expense), and vowed to hit his detractors with lawsuits upon his acquittal. I, for one, thought him innocent too. Having followed the trial over the last number of months I decided that he had done no wrong; acted recklessly with the company credit card maybe, but not conducted any illegal activity.
Anyway, I was on holiday in Monaco last week when I read that Lord Black of Crossharbour was found guilty and convicted of three charges of fraud and one of obstructing the course of justice. I was genuinely shocked and surprised. The Blacks were fond of the French Riveria and I thought ‘it might be a while before he experiences this again!’. As I write he is awaiting sentencing but will appeal, natch. Conrad Black is down but not out.
Another piece of bad news I read while I was away was the death of Nigel Dempster, the renowned British gossip columnist and social diarist. He wrote for the Daily Mail for over 17 years and is credited with moulding the then staid ‘diary’ section of the paper into what we have today – the entertainment, social interaction and celebrity gossip that fuels the media.
Throughout his career he broke major stories, such as the resignation of Harold Wilson as Prime Minister and the news of Prince Andrew's engagement to Sarah Ferguson. On one occasion, at an event in Phoenix Park in Dublin, he was confronted by an aristocrat after he had reported that the man was known to friends as "Handbag". Such was Dempster’s predilection for mischief that no story, no matter how tall, could not be believed. A close friend of the late Princess Margaret, he too was familiar with places such as Cannes and St. Tropez, but, alas, no more.
Enough of these negative tidings though. One party I attended just before I left was the launch of the Evian Ladies Day, and it would have been hard to choose an odds-on favourite from the glamour on display that night.
Guests included Evian Ladies Day Judges Pamela Flood and couturier Synan O'Mahony, Lucy Kennedy (sans Podge and Rodge), TV3's Karen Koster, Virginia Macari, fashionista Maria Fusco, Rachel Wyse, and TamsoDoyle. Evian's own Kerry O'Sullivan managed to look very calm despitehaving another big day looming; her wedding in September.
Guests were treated to a choice of champagne, Kir Royale or, of course, Evian at what was a very pink affair. A fashion parade showcased the latest high style looks with recently crowned Miss Ireland Blathnaid McKenna in one of her first major public appearances. There’s a top prize worth €10,000 up for grabs at the event in the RDS on the 9th of August.
OK, so €10k won’t get you a lifestyle like Lord and Lady Black, nor open doors to the society world favoured by Nigel Dempster, but hey, it’s a start.
