A Billionaire's Mistress

In the NSW Supreme Court a drama is being played out as Madison Ashton, the mistress of the late billionaire Dick Pratt makes a claim for $10 Million from the $6B estate Pratt left when he died in 2009

Dick Pratt

Madison says she was offered $500,000 a year by Pratt to be his exclusive mistress. Another mistress Shari-Lea Hitchcock who had a daughter by Pratt received a substantial sum from Pratt's estate while her daughter Madison reputedly received $22M and the deeds to a luxurious beach side mansion in exclusive Camp Cove. Shari-Lea is also disputing the estate over ownership of a country property.

The Sydney Morning Herald's PS column has revealed Madison's website where she offers escort services with the moniker Christine McQueen-Movie star face-Porn star body- with prices starting at a very reasonable $800 for one hour up to $5000 for 3 hours and $500 for 'Greek' (what is Greek?).

Shari-Lea Hitchcock

PS says Madison is a regular customer of a Paddington cosmetic surgeon who keeps the lady's body trim, taut and tucked.

However in today's Sunday Telegraph Ros Reines who sat behind Madison in a court session this week paints a most unflattering portrait of her -"I thought she was a legal clerk who had been running errands from Phillip St, and then stayed around to watch the action."..." especially when I took in the scuffed, flat shoes (what billionaire's mistress wears flats?) and the rubber band holding her unbrushed black hair in a ponytail".

We thought we may turn to a less jaundiced view- Punter Planet that assesses the virtues or otherwise of working girls with reviews from the average punter. Christine is quite a star on Punter Planet with dozens of threads plus some excellent reviews

LeapingLeroy reckons she is model material, lovely and that he had a 'fantastic time" . MadMick says she is an "absolute goddess" and "out of this world" while BoredDude666 is in total agreement with both commenting on her command of English. FrodoBaggins and paranoiddroid are equally enchanted with Madison's charms although it seems that all of them could only afford one hour with the famous lady.

Jeanne Pratt

Quite what Pratt's long suffering widow Jeanne Pratt thinks of this is anyone's business but she is fighting the case in court  Jeanne and Dick lived in Melbourne in the historic homestead Raheen and they also owned a magnificent penthouse duplex apartment in the ritzy Quay Apartments in Sydney. Neigbours at the Quay include Bold And The Beautiful star Ron Moss who purchsed on the floor below in 2006.

neighbour Ron Moss

PS says he visited Quay Apartments in 2006 and uncovered (along with a half eaten BBQ chook in the fridge) "rooms with a distinctly ''adult'' flavour to them, such as the salmon boudoir, where everything was decorated in pink  " and that "the penthouse at Quay was renowned for its bacchanalian parties ".

The Shuttle has been to the apartment twice under different circumstances, once in 2002 and again in 2007. Did Dick have The Renovators on call for quick makeovers ?. We found no "adult flavour" rooms.

 The two parties we attended were very staid affairs-one for the Sydney International Piano Competition and the other for the Australian Singing Competition for aspiring opera and classical singers.

Jeanne Pratt hosted both functions and there was no Louis Roederer champagne ( as discovered in the dozens by PS in the fridge) just a friendly glass of white and some unappetising hors d'ouverers. No pictures of Dick and his daughter Madison by Shari-Lea (as described by PS).

Perhaps more will be revealed as the case progresses and Madison's threatened diary of life with Dick is produced in court.

That Oprah Winfrey Guest List in Full

Russell & Oprah sailing today on Sydney Harbour

She seems to have swept the nation of their feet-Oprah Winfrey's tour Down Under is generating the sort of excitement last seen when Princess Diana made her last public appearance in 1996.

As the Social Shuttle exclusively reported, young Bindi Irwin is to be a guest on one of the two Oprah shows to be filmed tomorrow at the Sydney Opera House in front of an invited audience of 7500. The lucky guest's names were drawn out of hat of over 340,000 who applied for the tickets.

Bindi Irwin

Today Oprah sailed on Sydney Harbour with Russell Crowe and wife Danielle. Russell will be a guest on Oprah's show along with Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, Hugh Jackman , Portia de Rossi and Olivia Newton John. Jon Bon Jovi will perform while John Foreman and his orchestra will play the finale of the 2 shows which are to be screened in the USA in early 2011.

On Thursday Oprah will be a guest at the re-opening party for the $660M re-vamped Star City Casino where Jon Bon Jovi will perform again. He'll be joined on stage by Bob Geldorf.

And Friday-she's off on a private holiday up north with her personal staff . Then we have to hope that amongst the 8% of Americans who have passports, some watch Oprah and will buy the expensive travelogue they see !

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Shari-Lee & pal Lizzie Buttrose

Appearing in the NSW Supreme Court today-Shari Lee Hitchcock who is demanding a bigger share of the estate of the late billionaire Dick Pratt. 

Dick Pratt

Shari Lee, whose 12 year old daughter Paula was fathered by Pratt is suing his widow Jeanne Pratt and the Pratt estate for a greater share.  Paula was left a magnificent beach side house in Watson's Bay and a farm on the NSW south coast. There are also 4 properties in dispute that appear to be held by  a maze of Pratt corporations: a multi million dollar Quay Apartmen,t  2 country properties and a paper mill in Tumut. 

Despite daughter Paula also receiving $20M in cash both she and her mother claim they weren't left enough to live on  by the late cardboard king. Dick Pratt died of cancer in 2009 leaving an estate valued at nearly $6B.