Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban at the US Country Music Awards
While the Australian media has ignored the activities of former Sydney based private investigator Frank Monte , the US media shows no such timidity. Monte along with his partner Sharon Sargeant upped stakes and moved to Beverly Hills nearly a year ago where Monte has always maintained an office. He is licensed to practice as an investigator throughout the US and has some pretty high profile clients from Hollywood stars to New York business moguls. He also acts for a famed Las Vegas casino. Whispers first met Monte at a New York party given by US presidential candidate Donald Trump. Our snap below shows Monte with Trump and also on the Larry King Show. In total Monte has appeared in 1000s of US publications and TV shows. Cindy Adams the show biz columnist on the New York Post's famous Page Six has now published a snippet about Monte & Sargeant's reality TV show The Private Eye &The Madam now in production in LA. Whispers hears that numerous TV networks are negotiating with Monte for his series including the giant Redo Globo in Brazil and Silvio Berluscini's Italian Mediaset (Monte was born in Egypt & his parents were Italian). Word now reaches Whispers that a long term Frank Monte project has fired up one Hollywood's top producers : a biopic on the life of Michael Rockefeller(left) the explorer who disappeared in New Guinea in sensational circumstances that gripped the world's media in 1961. Monte was hired by the powerful US Rockefeller family and has never revealed the truth of what happened to their son & heir except to the family. Monte penned a script for the film two decades ago which was picked up the powerful William MorrisAgency with superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger buying the rights. Complex legal negations with the Rockefeller family stalled the project but apparently a settlement has finally been reached.
Sharon Sargeant & Frank Monte are regulars on the social circuit
He was described by top US talk showhost Larry King as "the best in the business",
Monte on 'Good Morning America'
Frank Monte the private investigator who has now been linked with the David Jone's case involving former CEO Mark McInnes, who recently resigned from his $8M job and former DJ's publicist Kirsty Fraser-Kirk who has alleged she was sexually harassed by McInnes and is asking for a whopping $37 million in damages.
In the lawsuit filed in the Federal Court there are 11 defendants including McInnes. Earlier this week the Daily Telegraph broke the story that Monte had been hired and paid a substantial sum to investigate the back ground of Fraser-Kirk.
McInnes & Megan Gale
He then gave a raft of radio interviews confirming the story whilst saying at the time that he would neither confirm or deny who his client was. As of yesterday Monte was taking no more media requests for interviews and has turned down several TV station requests.
One daily newspaper speculated about Monte's involvement in the case and published a story that both David Jones and McInnes had denied hiring Monte but as the gumshoe pointed out to us this morning, he had specifically stated that he would not say who his client was.
The Shuttle spoke to a well know solicitor on Wednesday ( he asked not to be named) who has worked on several harassment cases and he pointed out that there could be any number of prospective clients who could become involved in the case and use the services of a private eye.
Kirsty Fraser-Kirk
" Firstly there is the obvious- 11 defendants who would most likely be represented by one firm of solicitors and a barrister but each individual, particularly as they are high profile directors of the department store chain would have their own counsel as well. They may not even know who is hired on their behalf "
" Then there any number of insurance companies, large shareholders in the listed company, individual shareholders and clients of David Jones including those with a vested interest in the financial well being of the department store chain.
Such as a supplier who may have millions of dollars in stock supplies involved and are anxious that there are no boats rocked by the scandal. They in turn could have their own insurance companies "
" It's like a pebble thrown into the pond of lawsuits and the vested interests radiates outwards. Even on a normal case this happens but this looks set to a very special matter with the claim of $37M in damages . The fallout will be immense, whether the case is proved or not, for there not to be covert investigations of every person involved. And there is the share price of the chain store to consider" said our legal source.
On 2 radio interviews with Sydney's 2GB's Money News with Ross Greenwood, a noted financial journalist and on 1377AM with Steve Vizard in Melbourne both announcers voiced similar sentiments as the solicitor. ( Vizard's interview can be heard here)
One matter we brought up with the solicitor was the fact that, why would there would be a leaking to the media of the fact that a high profile private eye like Monte was on the case ?.
"Surely this would be counter productive ?" we asked " particularly as it is meant to be a 'covert'" surveillance"
" Not in the least" said the legal eagle. '"In fact it could have been quite deliberate to either rattle the other side or be like a clarion call to any interested party to supply information-and that Monte is the repository starting point. Monte's probably not actually doing the foot work himself, most likely overseeing the matter".
At Mid-day today Monte said he would show us some documents as long as we signed a confidentially agreement to never disclose the name involved.
At a city coffee shop he produced several emails from a high profile business group commissioning Monte for the job with a host of details and suggestions. of required information And bank documents that verify that indeed, a 'substantial sum' had been paid into his business bank account by wire transfer from that firm.
But even more interesting were a host of emails that Monte had received in the days following the media clamor about his involvement-from former family members and associates of the Fraser-Kirk familyin Zimbabwe and the UK offering information. Some of it. to put it mildly is sensational!
As they say, the plot thickens.
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We have unearthed an interview with Frank Monte on Kerri-Anne-Kennerley's showtalking about the paranormal !.
The same day that Mark McInnes-ex David Jones store CEO has flown back into town to face a $37million lawsuit, the Social Shuttle can reveal that private eye Frank Monte is on the case and is investigating Kirsty Fraser-Kirk, the former DJ's publicist at the center of the scandal.
Monte with Donald Trump
The Shuttle has always maintained a fairly good on-going relationship with the international private investigator but he wasn't revealing any details when we managed to get through to him tonight.
"I would never either confirm or deny who my clients are " said Monte. "In fact I'm rather surprised you would ask me to".
He did however confirm that someone had hired him to look into the background of the girl at the centre of a scandal that has rocked Australia's top department store chain and forced Mark McInnes to resign from his job that is said to have carried a yearly salary of $8 million.
A little over 2 weeks ago we called into Lotus Restaurant in Potts Point where Monte was celebrating his 60th birthday with family and friends and ended up chatting via a mobile phone to top US TV interviewer Larry King who had rung to wish the gumshoe all the best.
Monte has appeared on numerous US TV shows including Oprah Winfrey and Howard Stern and is a regular name in the US newspapers. He seems to pop up in all sorts of intriguing cases-from the disappearance of Michael Rockefeller Jr in New Guinea to the mysterious John F. Kennedy Jr plane crash. He was also head of security for the Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis and once led a team of mercenaries into a Middle East country to rout some insurgents on behalf of the Sheik of Dubai.
And now that our memory of a conversation with the urbane Frank at his birthday bash returns, he did mention that he was working on "something big" without revealing details.
Monte, who has offices in Beverly Hills, New York and Dallas and had recently returned from the US did say on the night that he had been meeting with a former top FBI agent who was an expert profiler.
" We are doing some business together and it involves an upcoming case" said Monte over a glass of Bollinger.And not the everyday stuff-vintage Bolly.
Kirsty Fraser-Kirk
" I've just received a handsome retainer " said Monte. "I'm letting my hair down for the night before I get stuck into a very complex job on the books".
McInnes has said that many of the sexual harassment claims against him are untrue and that he will be "vigorously defending himself"
Monte dines with Anthony Hayden Guest in New York
On the 2nd of August Ms Fraser-Kirk's legal representatives revealed details of her lawsuit against David Jones and McInnes with the staggering claim they were suing for an unprecedented $37 million.
The following day David Jones held their Spring & Summer parades with all media mentions consumed by the pending court case.
Many experts and commentators have speculated that the release of Fraser-Kirk's legal case that day was obviously carefully planed to over shadow the fashion parades (which normally would have starred DJ's star model Miranda Kerr who was still holidaying with her new husband Orlando Bloom).was a strategic mistake and could backfire.
Whilst Frank Monte is keeping his lips sealed on just who his client is, it's an indication that this story is going to get bigger...much bigger and very very sticky !
A visit to the chic restaurant Lotus for a glass of Dom Perignon to toast the 60th birthday of the man dubbed by the media as the world's most famous private eye, Frank Monte.
outrageous !
Monte was celebrating with his buxom ex-fiancee Sharon Sergeant who has recently caused a media storm with her outrageous antics hosting parties for a group of visiting British footballers and dancing to gay abandon with one of the most famous US porn stars in Las Vegas.
The highlight of the evening-apart from the series of lavish presents from the ex, was a phone call from US talk show host Larry King wishing Monte a happy birthday. Monte was a regular on King's show in the US when he lived for a few years in New York and he still catches up with King for dinner on visits there, as recently as 2 months ago.
In fact Monte was a regular on all sorts of TV shows-Howard Stern and Oprah to name 2 but that's a tale for a future story.
King & Monte-old pals
After a 5 minute chat Monte handed over his mobile phone so the Shuttle could introduce ourselves to Larry and of course, give the Social Shuttle a good plug.
King says he'll weave in a mention of the site on air. What a lovely chap !. Let's hope he does it before he retires shortly.
A scoop : We also asked Larry about the tales that have swirled about the British media that journalist PiersMorgan would be replacing him on CNN.
An alarming report as an heir to the US Rockerfeller fortune goes missing from Melbourne airport shortly after collecting a hire car. Herman Rockefeller (pictured) hasn't been heard from by his family since arriving in Australia last Thursday which family members say is unusual. But is he from that family ?. Police aren't quite sure.
Sounds like a case for the world's most famous private eye Frank Monte, currently moving digs from the luxury Horizon building into the even more salubrious Ikon apartment block in Potts Point.
Monte says the "walls were too thin " at the Horizon and besides, he was just living out the end of society doctor Dr Robert Fox's lease. Fox is now living in Melbourne.
"I always planned to live at the Ikon" says Monte. "The views are betterand the rooms larger".
Will this missing heir be found ?.
Unlike his relative Michael Rockefeller Jnr, the son of Nelson Rockerfeller who was the New York governor when his youngest boy disappeared in the wilds of the Asmat region of southwestern New Guinea around 1961. The Rockerfellers are one of the most powerful and richest US families and they called upon a young Italian born investigator Frank Monte to search for the heir.
Monte with Donald Trump
Rockefeller Jnr was never found alive although Monte says he tracked down his final movements and found the missing man's skull, duly delivered to to Nelson Rockerfeller in New York. The subject of Michael Jnr's disappearance is never discussed by the Rockerfeller clan.
Frank Monte on the Larry King show
Monte went onto become one of the most famous gumshoes in the world, working for AristolteOnassis and various Arab sheiks and royal familes out of offices in New York and Los Angeles. He detailed his life in a book, The Spying Game and has been the subject of hundreds of magazine profiles, appeared on the Larry King and Howard Stern TV shows and ran one of the world's first internet live shows when he hit New York nightlife with thousands of viewers watching real life action via Monte's tiny spy cameras.
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Friday night was the last appearance in Australia for Tallulah Rendell on her world tour. Song-writer and singer Tallulah is the daughter of former London and Hello social scribe John Rendell, famous more recently for his best selling book Christian The Lion. Tallulah's mum is the top British publicist and co-host of the hysterical Ladettes to Lady TV show Liz Brewer.
Tallulah Rendell and father John
Tallulah made several appearances at the Vanguard in Newtown and the Oxford Art's Factory in Darlinghurst before jetting out today for New Zealand and Japan while dad John tours local schools lecturing kids about animal conservation in Africa.
Word now reaches Whispers that a long term Frank Monte project has fired up one Hollywood's top producers : a biopic on the life of Michael Rockefeller (left) the explorer who disappeared in New Guinea in sensational circumstances that gripped the world's media in 1961. Monte was hired by the powerful US Rockefeller family and has never revealed the truth of what happened to their son & heir except to the family. Monte penned a script for the film two decades ago which was picked up the powerful William Morris Agency with superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger buying the rights. Complex legal negations with the Rockefeller family stalled the project but apparently a settlement has finally been reached.
