Mystery Model

There was much chatter at the recent Balenciaga fashion show that feautured Nicole Kidman and Kim Kardashian as to who were the models dressed head to toe in black leather with crash type helmets. Well we can reveal one: as shown above is gorgeous Aussie model Michelle Walshe who is married to top Australian model agent Martin Walshe who looks after the careers of some of the world's top catwalk names. You can watch the Balenciaga parade on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqmkAS6FDKQ

Vale Carla

Born in 1942 in the small Italian village of Lovero, Aussie fashion design supremo Carla Zampatti has passed away after succumbing to injuries from a fall at the Opera in the Botanical Gardens just days ago. Zampatti's decades of timeless, elegant fashion has been much loved over the years from well heeled female corporate executives to visiting celebrities who swore a Zampatti designed outfit was the peak of elegance.

Pictured: Bianca Spender, Carla Zampatti and John Bush

Whispers often encountered Carla at Sydney and Melbourne soirees whether it was the launch of a new small design shop, a charity event, fashion parade or an Art Gallery grand dinner for the late Opera star Luccianno Pavrotti (Zampatti was always at the head table). We'd often see her tootling around Sydney's Eaatern Surburbs in her classic green Rolls Royce Corniche.

Launching her first fashion collection in 1965, success followed success and she opened her first boutique in Surry Hills in 1972. Her fashions have a variety of fans from Princess Mary of Denmark to popster Danii Minouge. Numerous Aussie celebs have featured her designs at some stage including Nicole Kidman. Legendary actress Angela Lansbury once went on shopping spree at Zampatti's Double Bay boutique and Ros Packer is a regular.

Carla's designs are now featured in department store around the country and the world. In 2004 she was awarded the Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic along with Australian honours and in 2005 Carla was featured on a stamp, the ultimate in recognition . Zampatti leaves behind three children, designer Bianca Spender, son Alex Schuman, and Allegra Spender who managers the Zampatti design business. She married politcian John Spender in 1975 and they amicably divorced in 2010.

exclusive: Bette Midler supports the fire relief

So many celebrities and 1000s of ordinary members of the public have contributed huge sums to aid the victims of the terrible fires. One donation however has gone unreported. While entertainers like Pink, Elton John who are regular visitors to Australia and homegrown actors like Nicole Kidman and  Chris Hemsworth have come up with the cash, singer Bette Midler who hasn't visited these shores for over 15 years has just donated $500,000. All Heil Bette !.
And she's had a go at Rupert Murdoch at the same time. The entire Murdoch family, worth mega-billions have remained oddly silent. Rupert however has been sunning himself in the Caribbean with with wife Jerry 'Murdoch' nee Hall.

Whispers first saw Bette Midler in a showcase in downtown New York in 1973. We've loved her every since. Such a voice. Here's an example:

Julia Gillard's new pal Rhianna

They seem like the most unlikely of pairings – a former Prime Minister and one of the biggest pop stars on the planet. And yet since first meeting in 2016, Julia Gillard and Rihanna have formed an unlikely friendship based on their shared passion for promoting education in developing countries around the world.

Read more at Australian Vogue. 

Meanwhile: spotted in New York by one of our eagle-eyed readers -on the Promenade along the East River and Carl Schurz Park filming for an HBO series : Nicole Kidman.

Nightlife

Escher

We'd be remiss not to show a snap of Nicole Kidman in a fluffy chicken dress with hubby Keith Urban who attended the music industry ARIA Awards this week. And here they are.
Our Nic will also be at the film & TV industry AACTA Awards next week when she'll present awards and receive one.

Meanwhile down in Melbourne last night Hollywood star Natalie Portman graced the red carpet for the launch of the Escher x Nendo: Between Two Worlds exhibition.." a groundbreaking exhibition that features the work of Dutch artist M. C. Escher in dialogue with the work of acclaimed Japanese design studio nendo." says the blurb.

 The exhibition is at the NGV International from 2 Dec 18– 7 Apr 19

Nendo

And entertaining at the Esher x Nendo launch: young heartthrob Troy Sivan who sang up a storm.

Star line-up for the ACCTA Awards.

Nicole Kidman will be jetting into Sydney for this year's ACCTA Awards next Wednesday evening. She'll be joined by Vance Joy and Katie Noonan who will perform alongside a star-studded line-up of presenters and guests, including nominees  Simon Baker, Deborah Mailman and Bruce Beresford.

Whispers will be there of course at the The Star Event Centre with bells on to bring our readers all the action.

And what a line-up of talent:

Host Stephen Curry will be joined by top Australian film and television talent who will take to the stage to present, including: Rebecca Gibney, Marta Dusseldorp, Jack Thompson, Sigrid Thornton, Rodger Corser, Erik Thomson, Julia Zemiro, Shane Jacobson, Fred Schepisi, Nazeem Hussain and Kat Stewart, as well as KATH AND KIM’s Gina Riley, Jane Turner and Magda Szubanski.

Court drama in the Southern Highlands

Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban's SH home Bunya Hill and local resident Miriam Margolyes

The gentle rolling pastures of the beautiful countryside of the Southern Highlands are abuzz as the latest court drama over a local newspaper and a property developer plays out in the local court. The Highlands are a weekend retreat for many well heeled Sydneysiders with their hobby farms and numerous celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, Harry Potter actress Miriam Margolyes and the late British politician Lord McAlpine
Top Sydney barrister, Charles Waterstreet was at Moss Vale Local Court this morning  representing newspaper executive Cristian King .
The prosecution relates to an investigative editorial ran by the local newspaper, LattéLife Wingecarribee, last year entitled 'Yuill Be Right’.
The article revealed that local real estate agent Angus Yuill of Campbell-Jones Property in Bowral had been trading without a property certifcate or licence for nine months, resulting in enforcement action by NSW Fair Trading.

left : barrister Charles Waterstreet and Cristian King

Mr King has been charged with intimidation, offensive behaviour and obstructing a vehicle in a public place. He is pleading not guilty to all charges.

King arrives at Moss Vale court today

Evidence was given by Campbell-Jones Property principal,Angus Campbell-Jones and his receptionist,Ana Calvert on 20 March 2017.
However, the hearing was adjourned to 18 May 2017 due to an allegation by Ms Calvert that Mr King had intimidated her at McDonald's restaurant in Moss Vale following her testimony although Mr King says he was at the courthouse at that time.
Mr Waterstreet, a family friend of the King's, has taken a special interest in this case and said "It is an honour to represent a journalist."

 Below: Highlands' competing newspapers : LatteLife and the Fairfax newspaper Highland News

Night of the Big Cheques

Shelly Horton & Carrie Bickmore

It was called the Twinnings' Design Challenge. Prominent celebrities were asked to design a new tea packet for the famous tea company. Nicole Kidman, model Samantha Harris, racing identity Emma Freedman and host of the TV show The Project Carrie Bickmore accepted. When the tens of thousands of public votes for the winner were announced, it was Carrie who had won. Ten cents from the sale of every packet of tea sold now goes to Carrie's charity Carrie's Beanies for Brain Cancer which she started in honour of her husband who passed away from the disease.
The other contestants also received a donation from Twinnings for their chosen charities, hence the sight of said slebs walking about with over-sized cardboard cheques !

Guests at the party to announce the winner (including Whispers) were transported on a mild Autumn night on the amazing Starship, a sort of floating ballroom, from the King Street Wharf to Cockatoo Island where the 4 designs for the tea packet were projected  onto a cliff face. Fueled by copious glasses of champagne (and even cups of tea) and we can report a very Good Time was had by all. And on hand- a 6th generation family member Stephen Twinning. Whispers gratefully accepted a ride home in the chauffeured Bentley of Real Housewives of Sydney star Christa Billich.
What a life!

Stephen Twinning... and the amazing Starship

Emma Watkins & Lachlan Gillespie..their shoes                                                  Olivia Phyland &  Lauren Vickers

Spotted

This rather hirsute gentleman looking very relaxed  is Hollywood actor Jason Momoa who was imbibing in a latte at a local Adelaide cafe today.

Momoa appeared in the popular Game of Thrones TV series and starred in action films like Conan The Barbarian and Batman Vs Superman.

Jason has been shooting scenes for a new action film Aquaman in which he takes the title role along side co-stars Nicole Kidman and Amber Heard.

Whispers' spies are omnipresent !

Gum Leaf Mafia invasion

WE JUST HAD the local ACCTA Awards in Sydney but this week it was also time for the International ACCTA Awards. Here are a few snaps from the event in Los Angeles. The Big Talk of the evening was the film Lion starring Nicole Kidman and David Wenham and based on the real life tale & book A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley with Larry Buttrose.

The film stars Dev Patel, Rooney Mara, David Wenham, Nicole Kidman, Abhishek Bharate, Divian Ladwa, Priyanka Bose, Deepti Naval, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Sunny Pawar.
In our top snap is pictured Nicole  with Dev Patel and Sunny Pawar.
 Below is a trailer for the film which is tipped at least for a Golden Globe and maybe an Oscar or two.

And any day now it will be time for G'Day Australia where all those slebs will turn up again for another star-studded bash in LA.



Top row : Sunny Pawar,Dev Patel & Nicole Kidman

Middle row: Zoe Ventiura, Mel Gibson, Kim Wilson and Isla Fisher

Bottom row : Emma Stone, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban 

A French Honour

Brian * Emile * and Gene Sherman

Gene Sherman owns the up-market Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation Gallery in Paddington. Now for the second time she has been honoured by the French government for her contribution to the arts and culture presented at a small cocktail party as our snap above shows.
Pinning on the medal is France's Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Monsieur Christophe Lecourtier.

And watching were some proud family members - husband Brian and son Emile. Brian Sherman who sold his investment company for $$mega-millions now concentrates on his charity Voiceless started by he and his daughter Ondine which raises awareness of animals suffering in factory farming and the kangaroo industry in Australia.
 Emile Sherman is probably best known as the producer of the 2011 Academy Award winning film The King's Speech. Currently he's working on several TV series : Love Nina and Codes of Conduct, a science fiction film How To Talk to Girls at Parties starring Nicole Kidman and a re-make of the Lynda la Plante Widows starring Viola Davis.
And if you haven't been to the wonderful Sherman Gallery you'll find it at 16-29 Goodhope Street, just off Five Ways in Paddington.

Sam Neill slams Lock Out Laws

Actor Sam Neill was at Parramatta to announce the move there of John Poulson's short film festival Tropfest, covered by Whispers so many times including the very first one years ago which had only 20 guests that included Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise (and moi).

The controversial lock out laws that now make nightclubs serve their last drinks at midnight have devastated Kings Cross and the Golden Gay Mile of Oxford Street. Sam had some pretty strong criticism of the laws. Will we be going to Parramatta to attend Tropfest? Hmmm, may have to think long and hard about that. It took 90 minutes to get to the presser but I suppose there is always the ferry.

Dramas in The Shire

Southern Highlands' fans: Miriam Margolyes,Nicole & Keith,Leo DiCaprio, Lady Renouf,Lord McAlpine. Arnie

James Fairfax

The Southern Highlands is undoubtedly the most beautiful and desirable country property in Australia. It's green gentle rolling hills, just a 2 hour drive from Sydney are home to numerous celebrities like Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes, superstar Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban who call the former Governor's retreat Bunya Hill their country base, Fairfax publishing scion James Fairfax along with numerous Eastern Suburb's residents who have hobby farms there. The late UK Conservative Party heavyweight Lord McAlpine called the Shire home as did the late Lady Renouf for some years and even the ex-California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger sent a representative to look for a suitable property while last year film heartthrob Leo DiCaprio declared it was his favourite spot in all the world.

Three years ago publisher Jane King decided the local newspaper scene needed a bit of shake-up, moved there with her family and produced a Southern Highland's version of her Eastern Suburbs free newspaper LatteLife. Her son Cristian King who manages the three King newspapers took on the job of reporting on local council affairs and was soon ruffling some very important feathers out of their complacent stupor.
                                                                                                       

Bunya Hill

But a few weeks ago Latte Life's advertisers found an anonymous old-style Poison Pen Letter landing on their doorsteps alleging all sorts of scurrilous goings-on. To show there were no hard feelings all the advertisers decided to step up their support for the newspaper and many delivered the letters to the local cop shop. Now the Australian Federal Police has stepped in to forensically examine the offending missives.

Cristian King

Meanwhile manager Christian King- defending himself -succeeded in having an attempted Apprehended Violence Order from a local councilor thrown out of court and is also suing a councilor for defamation.

And to show he has no hard feelings, Cristian has now put himself up for election in the Wingecarribee Shire Council which if successful could see him as Australia's youngest Councilor. Ex-Wingecarribee Mayor Julie Arkright  has stepped into the breach to take over Cristian's council reporting.
I'm told the local coffee shoppes and pubs are abuzz with chat on the matters with many viewing it as the most exciting series of events to have happened in the area in decades!
# Whispers occasionally does some work for LatteLife Newspapers.

Movie News

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 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.

Sharon Sargeant & Frank Monte are regulars on the social circuit

Nicholas has designs on Miami

Nicholas Huxley began studying at the Fashion Design school at East Sydney College in 1973, before working for a number of prominent fashion houses in Australia, He became head teacher of the Fashion Design Studio in 1990, a post he still holds. 

Now he has been commissioned  to set up a fashion design school at the Miami Dade College in the US and it's hard to think of a better choice. Almost every successful name in the Australian fashion scene has studied under Huxley . He's been nominated for numerous awards including  an Australian Film Institute Award for Best Costume Design for the film Sons of Steel and has been
asked to be a part of the annual Jeans for Genes art auction for five consecutive years. Nicholas has won two Fashion Industry of Australia awards and was nominated three times for the NSW Government Fashion Laureate in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
But for the next nine months Huxley will be living in Miami helping bring fashion to that great city. In the meantime he's busy furnishing his new apartment nearby the campus. So that's another Aussie taking over the world ! 
***********************************************************************************
 Exclusive on the 60 Minutes Beirut Kidnap Plot

While 60 Mins presenter Tara Brown and her film crew were sipping champagne in First Class on a flight back to Sydney today, one of those involved in the matter remained in jail He is Adam Whitington an ex-UK policeman and  head of the Child Abduction Recovery agency. No being whisked through Sydney Airport by Nine's top PR Victoria Buchan for Whitington.

Gatto                           Obeid                       Depp & Heard

All manner of characters seem to be coming out of the woodwork including former NSW MP Eddie Obeid (we reported on how his 6'4" drag queen nephew was intending to turn up to court in support of his Lebanese born uncle when he was under ICAC scrutiny) and now Melbourne "underground" figure Mick Gatto has claimed he was asked to help negotiate the 60 minutes crew's release. Quite how Gatto, the boss of a building scaffolding firm could assist is a mystery although completely unnoticed by the Oz media, Gatto supplied the security for Johnny Depp and Amanda Heard when they arrived and left a Southport court for the great Boo & Pistol Scandal. 
 
But a blogger who goes by the name of Anna Raccoon (she is a retired British lawyer) has come up with some new info on Whittington who was involved in the mysterious Madeleine McCann affair. 
Read Anna Raccoon's article here 

Even more exciting news

If the thought of Jerry & Rupert's nuptials hasn't given you a heart starter, this news surely will:

As exclusively reported in LatteLife Newspaper - Southern Highland's edition ( which Whispers and the office cat proudly contribute to) the beautiful little town of Berry may become the home of superstar Leo DiCaprio:
    

"DiCaprio announces move to Berry NSW

Leonardo DiCaprio in a post Oscar magazine interview said that he was, “tired of the Hollywood lifestyle” and that he wanted to “live in a place where people were just people and whose sincerity you didn’t have to question”. He recently visited Berry while scouting out a film location with Martin Scorsese and, according to Scorsese, “Leo immediately fell in love with the relaxed lifestyle and the small town feel of Berry and that whole area and was telling everyone that he was going to move there.”

“I’ve accomplished a lot in my career and I feel like I just want to slow down a little bit and moving to a town like Berry in such a beautiful location full of beautiful people in a beautiful country is exactly what I want in my life right now,” DiCaprio said “I’m not giving up my career, I just want to move to a place that feels so different than what I’ve been used to all my life. For me, that place is Berry.” Here at LatteLife we think Leo needs to scout further South and move to Berrima or Bowral."

DiCaprio would join such names as Nicole Kidman and Miriam Margolyes and the late Lord McAlpine who all chose to spend most of their time in Australia's most beautiful rural retreat. And Berry? We can only think of actor Max Cullen who is a resident. Max is currently on tour with Warren Fahey in their hugely successful Dead Men Talking tour about Australia's legendary poets & writers Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson

G'day USA

It's that time of the year when the Gum Leaf Mafia gather in Los Angeles for a series of Australian themed events, fashion shows and so on. Last night it was the gala dinner and of course, another opportunity for casino billionaire James Packer to show off his fiancee Mariah Carey, and of course that ring. Here are a couple of short films from the events. And aren't the LA paparazzi just delightful?



And an Only In Australia moment : 2 Weeks ago he was in Washington meeting with US president Barack Obama...just yesterday our newly minted Prime Minster Malcolm Turnbull was in Melbourne catching a tram. No police, flashing lights or bodyguards. And no-one noticed.

They're back !!!

Tropfest attracts the biggest stars in the business

 Admittedly Whispers has been a critic of Tropfest in the past. But overall, it really is a fantastic event.

Tropfest founder John Polson & Jamie Foxx- a Tropfest fan

How pleasing then to announce that reports of
Tropfest's death have been greatly exaggerated (we are guilty too). Fortunately they have found a new sponsor and the event will take place on Sunday February 14th this year. The location will be Centennial Park and the weather should be perfect at that time of the year instead of the original December date which really can be quite humid.. And that's a Very Good Thing. And congrats should go to Tropfest found John Polson for persevering in the face of adversity.
# A few years ago Whispers was privileged to lunch with actor and Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx at Royal Randwick. Foxx enthused about Tropfest which he had just attended calling it the very best short film festival he had ever attended : "I intend to tell everyone back in LA about how fantastic it is" said Jamie.
For more details, bookings etc go to the Tropfest official website here.

Home & Away actress loses bid for AVO against reporter

Former Home and Away star Holly Campbell who is now a councilor on the Wingecarribee Council in the Southern Highland has lost a bid to take out an AVO (Apprehended Violence Order) against reporter Cristian King from the local newspaper LatteLife Southern Highlands.

Magistrate Mary Ryan refused to uphold the application and stated that King, who defended himself in court, was simply doing his job as a reporter on the 2 occasions he asked Cr Campbell questions following council meetings and that his actions did not warrant her being in fear of her life. 
 Cr Campbell had posed for Cristian at a social event less than a week ago. During cross examination by King aged 20, the photograph of Cr Campbell smiling was submitted as evidence and she was asked, "what emotion does your face in that photograph display"?
At a prior court date Cr Campbell asked Magistrate Ryan if she could stop LatteLife from printing because they ' say bad things about me'. The Magistrate reminded Cr Campbell that "we live in a democracy and as an elected official she should get used to it." 
 

Bunya Hill 

# For the benefit of our many overseas readers : the beautiful Southern Highlands is a couple of hours drive from Sydney and is the most expensive country property in Australia. With it's green rolling pastures and numerous antique shops in picturesque villages it attracts many of Australia's wealthiest citizens who own weekend retreats. Superstars Nicolle Kidman and Keith Urban own the former governor's residence Bunya Hill, Harry Potter actress Miriam Margolyes spends most of her spare time there  while the late Lord McAlpine owned a magnificent property with award winning gardens.  #Whispers is a contributor to LatteLife and once produced glossy videos and real estate brochures of Southern Highland's properties in conjunction with the late Bill Ranken.