25-12-2013, 02:55 AM
Charles Saatchi 'swamped press' with Nigella Lawson drug stories
Nigella Lawson arrives at a London court to give evidence in a case in which her two personal assistants were accused of defrauding her and ex-husband Charles Saatchi. Source: AFP
CHARLES Saatchi has come under fire as his attempts to force drug allegations against Nigella Lawson into the press have been laid bare.
The Times revealed on Saturday that Mr Saatchi, 70, had approached journalists as early as July with claims that Ms Lawson had taken drugs.
More than a fortnight before their divorce in the High Court on July 31, Mr Saatchi and a friend first tried to plant a story alleging that Ms Lawson, 53, had attempted to ensnare his daughter, Phoebe, in her drug use from when the girl was aged 15, according to The Sunday Times.
Other newspapers were "bombarded" with similar allegations over the next five months leading up to the fraud trial of Ms Lawson's former housekeepers, Elisabetta and Francesca Grillo, who claimed that she had taken cocaine daily and smoked cannabis with her children.
The first attack is said to have come on July 13, when a friend of Mr Saatchi contacted The Sunday Times with a claim that Kay Hartenstein, his former wife and the mother of Phoebe, wanted to take Ms Lawson to court. A reporter then spoke to Mr Saatchi, who allegedly said that he was keen to ensure that the story would focus on a claim that Ms Lawson had tried to tempt Phoebe, 19, into taking drugs.
Prosecution 'unlikely' over cocaine use
Another e-mail followed from what appeared to be the art dealer's personal account with photographs that seemed to show Ms Lawson's children holding marijuana joints, according to the newspaper. When the story failed to appear, the report claimed, Mr Saatchi sent the journalist Ms Lawson's personal contact details and said: "The only way forward is to ask her to deny it."
The Mail on Sunday also claimed to have received a statement approved by Ms Hartenstein and Phoebe claiming that Ms Lawson had "used drugs ... heavily each night ... for an hour after dinner, and another hour before bed".
Again, the story was not published, but the Daily Mail reported in August that Mr Saatchi had put his daughter on the phone to its sister paper to allege that the celebrity cook had been involved in "illegal activities". Claims of similar approaches were made yesterday by the Sunday People and The Sunday Telegraph.
After Mr Saatchi's conventional approaches to journalists proved fruitless, two witness statements signed by the Grillo sisters and containing damaging allegations against Ms Lawson were published in late September by Richard Hillgrove, a public relations expert and blogger. They were circulated to newspapers four days later.
Yesterday Mr Saatchi sought to distance himself from the blogger, insisting to one newspaper that he had never met the man, but The Sunday Times claimed that Mr Hillgrove had forwarded an e-mail apparently from Mr Saatchi's personal account and arranged a phone call with him.
Mr Saatchi's representatives did not respond to requests for comment last night, and he is thought to have left Britain for a holiday in the Caribbean.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/wor...788811900#
- Oliver Moody
- The Times
- December 24, 2013 1:00AM
Nigella Lawson arrives at a London court to give evidence in a case in which her two personal assistants were accused of defrauding her and ex-husband Charles Saatchi. Source: AFP
CHARLES Saatchi has come under fire as his attempts to force drug allegations against Nigella Lawson into the press have been laid bare.
The Times revealed on Saturday that Mr Saatchi, 70, had approached journalists as early as July with claims that Ms Lawson had taken drugs.
More than a fortnight before their divorce in the High Court on July 31, Mr Saatchi and a friend first tried to plant a story alleging that Ms Lawson, 53, had attempted to ensnare his daughter, Phoebe, in her drug use from when the girl was aged 15, according to The Sunday Times.
Other newspapers were "bombarded" with similar allegations over the next five months leading up to the fraud trial of Ms Lawson's former housekeepers, Elisabetta and Francesca Grillo, who claimed that she had taken cocaine daily and smoked cannabis with her children.
The first attack is said to have come on July 13, when a friend of Mr Saatchi contacted The Sunday Times with a claim that Kay Hartenstein, his former wife and the mother of Phoebe, wanted to take Ms Lawson to court. A reporter then spoke to Mr Saatchi, who allegedly said that he was keen to ensure that the story would focus on a claim that Ms Lawson had tried to tempt Phoebe, 19, into taking drugs.
Prosecution 'unlikely' over cocaine use
Another e-mail followed from what appeared to be the art dealer's personal account with photographs that seemed to show Ms Lawson's children holding marijuana joints, according to the newspaper. When the story failed to appear, the report claimed, Mr Saatchi sent the journalist Ms Lawson's personal contact details and said: "The only way forward is to ask her to deny it."
The Mail on Sunday also claimed to have received a statement approved by Ms Hartenstein and Phoebe claiming that Ms Lawson had "used drugs ... heavily each night ... for an hour after dinner, and another hour before bed".
Again, the story was not published, but the Daily Mail reported in August that Mr Saatchi had put his daughter on the phone to its sister paper to allege that the celebrity cook had been involved in "illegal activities". Claims of similar approaches were made yesterday by the Sunday People and The Sunday Telegraph.
After Mr Saatchi's conventional approaches to journalists proved fruitless, two witness statements signed by the Grillo sisters and containing damaging allegations against Ms Lawson were published in late September by Richard Hillgrove, a public relations expert and blogger. They were circulated to newspapers four days later.
Yesterday Mr Saatchi sought to distance himself from the blogger, insisting to one newspaper that he had never met the man, but The Sunday Times claimed that Mr Hillgrove had forwarded an e-mail apparently from Mr Saatchi's personal account and arranged a phone call with him.
Mr Saatchi's representatives did not respond to requests for comment last night, and he is thought to have left Britain for a holiday in the Caribbean.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/wor...788811900#
"The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it." Karl Marx
"He would, wouldn't he?" Mandy Rice-Davies. When asked in court whether she knew that Lord Astor had denied having sex with her.
“I think it would be a good idea” Ghandi, when asked about Western Civilisation.
"He would, wouldn't he?" Mandy Rice-Davies. When asked in court whether she knew that Lord Astor had denied having sex with her.
“I think it would be a good idea” Ghandi, when asked about Western Civilisation.