Emerald City Update #4

ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S top publicists, Roxy Jacenko of Sweaty Betty fame threw a swish bash in her Woollahra home last night to launch her first book Strictly Confidential.

Roxy

Roxy seems to have a best-seller on her hands going by some of the reviews:

‘Think of it as The Devil Wears Prada meets the PR industry … ‘
’It’s a riveting read with lots of humour and plenty of real-life characters who are so thinly disguised as to be almost see-through…’
‘As well as providing all of this saucy intrigue, Jacenko manages to write with lots of humour so Strictly Confidential is an entertaining read.’
-  Ros Reines, The Sunday Telegraph (high praise indeed from Ros !)

‘If you like gossip, designer clothes and handbags, you’ll love this story.’
- Vittoria Bon, Sunday Telegraph  and Hobart Mercury

‘… it’s a faced-paced, enjoyable read that offers the right amount of escapism and a juicy insight into the world of Sydney celebrity.’
- Lizzie Stafford, Sunday Mail, U on Sunday

************* 

Snooki from Jersey Shore

Ruby

The talk is that Roxy's vivacious sister Ruby Jacenko may soon start work as a scribe on the increasingly successful Latte Life newspaper that is distributed around Sydney's Eastern Suburbs.

Does Latte Life have the staid Wentworth Courier that has coasted on it's market dominance for so long, worried ?. You bet your life. For the first time in living memory the Wenty has appeared over the Christmas break-a slim version-when they never usually bother


# The Yanks strike again :  Many readers may recall when the TV show Baywatch was on it's last legs and they convinced the then NSW premier Bob Carr to invest in the series by funding filming on Sydney''s Northern Beaches (much to the chagrin of locals as film crews trod and trampled the delicate undergrowth ).

A handful of local actors were employed plus the late Rene Rivkin appeared in some episodes before the producers, wads of taxpayers cash in  hand decamped to see out Baywatch's last days in Hawaii.

Now the ghastly US reality show Jersey Shore is threatening to descend upon  Queensland's Gold Coast and the local burghers have fallen hook line and sinker. It could be a marriage made in Heaven!


##  KYLE SANDILANDS is stumbling from advertiser woe to woe as they flee his radio show (why did he think he could viciously insult a News Ltd journalist and get away with it ?).

Jenny Craig stepped into the breach when Holden and others fled depriving he and Jackie O's radio show of up to $8M in revenues.
Now after thousands of complaints Jenny Craig have fled as well.

But is Jackie O planning to do a bunk ?. An insider tells the Shuttle that while publicly supporting Sandilands, Jackie is privately fuming over the dramas and has been spotted in secret talks with a rival radio network. Although she is contracted to 2DAYFM our legal expert tells us Kyle's actions are enough To break her present contract. Watch this space !.
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little bay with big problems

It's only 3 kilometres from the city centre and a stone's throw from Kings Cross-Elizabeth Bay, a harbour-side suburb where a battle royal is about to break out.

The suburb has some rich and famous residents overseen by the imposing  Elizabeth Bay House, the historic homestead of Governor Lachlan Macquarie whose wife Elizabeth the area was named after. Chef Kylie Kwong lives there as does trucking magnate Lindsay Fox who stumped up $29M for the 1920's Spanish style residence Boomerang, built by the Albert's music family and the locale for the film Mission Impossible 11. At one stage actor Tom Cruise considered buying Boomerang as his Aussie base for he and former wife Nicole Kidman . Just up the road from Boomerang in Billyard Avenue have lived Russel Crowe and Lachlan Murdoch. A few hundred metres in the other direction in Roslyn Gardens is the imposing 4 storey terrace being restored by former Prime Minster Paul Keating-to date a 15 year project.

Rene Rivkin

 Owner of the fashion label Diesel and former James Packer partner , Theo Onosforou has a house there as does the head of the  Broome pearl empire Nick Paspaley while Consolidated Media's chairman, John Alexander lives in a magnificent penthouse. Right on the small park at the end of a marina where the action is taking place is controversial West Australian businessman Warren Anderson who has his elegant terrace for sale for give or take $30M.

Opposite Anderson's house is the Elizabeth Bay marina whose owners, rag trader Michael Dalah and the rich  panel beater Peter Fitzhenry wish to turn from it's present 30 vessel berth into 50. It's a fight that is sure to end  up in the courts as the residents oppose the development. They successfully saw off the last entrepreneur, the late stockbroker Rene Rivkin.

The Danish royals partied at Boomerang

Meanwhile John Alexander who led the fight to prevent the previous development has had to halt the renovations of his large terrace overlooking the harbour after another tenant of his building Julie Schaeffer took out an injunction in the Supreme Court citing lack off council approval. Schaeffer was the previous owner of Boomerang where she hosted the return home party for Princess Mary of Denmark when Mary paid her first visit back to Oz with her husband Frederick-the future King of Denmark.

Boomerang

And right across the road from Boomerang is the multi storey apartment of property entrepreneur Gary Baker and his wife Karin Upton Baker the head of the fashion label Hermes where they have hosted parties for Elle McPherson and Cate Blanchett. The Bakers-noted for their series of black autos-a Bentley Continental,  a Rolls Phantom , a vintage Mercedes sports car and a Mini Cooper all with XXX numberplate's, are facing a Supreme Court fight over their investment in a set of Bondi beach-side apartments once owned by the late singer Peter Allen the former husband of Liza Minnelli. The Bakers are being  sued by a credit company for around $18M and risk losing their home.

 

Directly across from the marina where all the woes are about to descend is tSS contributor Bill Ranken who has a pied-à-terre . He's not buying into the fight-he doesn't like boats.

Monday rant : defame me...please

          Britain's Justice Minister Jack Straw, it appears, has given into repeated calls from various groups calling for reform of Britain's libel laws, and specifically so-called tourism libel  Straw says a panel will  "consider whether the law of libel, including the law relating to libel tourism, in England and Wales needs reform, and if so to make recommendations as to solutions".

      Omninously, he says this study will be conducted by " academics, lawyers and newspaper editors". So that's OK then. Or is it ?

         No 'man in the street" or errant vicar discovered to have had a bit on the side with his life splashed on the pages of The Sun on this panel ?.

         What about the casual sex partner of singer George Michael who was pounced upon by the tabloids after he emerged from the bushes on Hampstead Heath, described variously as "sleazy" "fat" "pudgy" "cheaply dressed" etc etc.( a possible description of many a newspaper editor tSS has encountered). His pictures and accompanying sordid descriptions even ended up in Aussie glossies and Spanish celeb mags while Michael went on to explain himself on Michael Parkinson's chat show to raptuous applause.

        Even worse, the schizoid world of the gay publishing printed the following :

"Meanwhile his (George Michael's) new buddy K***** crept from the undergrowth looking sheepish and rushed to his Ford Transit van. As he opened the door a grubby, stained mattress was clearly visible in the back.

We later tracked him to his home 60 miles away—a squalid flat in Brighton, East Sussex.
Looking gross and dishevelled, K***** answered the door naked — pulling on grimy shorts as he invited us in."
   The site GAYTWTOGETHER describes itself as "interesting articles, great pictures and cool stuff for and about gay relationships. Whether you’re "living together" or "dating", "not quite sure yet" or "in a long term relationship", it's all about romance, love and being GAYTWOGETHER".
Well yeh, sure. No casual sex or even solidarity for these prudes.

          Surely this bloke, who for all the idiotic descriptions looks like just about every other person in the street, minus a few gold records and the latest Mercedes, deserves a place on this panel of distinguished experts. The list of mere mortals who could advise this panel could go on forever-the thousands who are routinely defamed and libeled in the media on a daily basis just because they can be and because they have no recourse.

       The gorgeous Carla Bruni-Sarkozy writing in The Guardian in defence of her husband the French President Nicolas Sarkozy  (who hardly needed such defence) makes a valid point in quoting the great French playwright Pierre Beaumarchais:

"Slander, sir? You scarcely know the half of it: I have seen the most honest of men almost brought to their knees by it ... Who the devil will resist it?"

Unfortunately you have to be married to a French president to get yourself a page in the Guardian when your feelings have been hurt.

         Whilst Straw's announcement is receiving plaudits from the very worthy The Libel Reform Campaign which includes such notables as The World's Greatest Magazine, Private Eye editor Ian Hislop, writer Monica Ali, former Poet Laurete Sir Andrew Motion (?) and a variety of Guardian and Independent type editors and journalists, why is no ordinary victim of libel ( like Michael's Hampstead Heath friend) included in their campaign ?.

      The Libel Reform website carries worthy tales of major investigations being stalled by threats of libel but what about that other body of people, you know the majority : the common man/woman who are routinely slaughtered in print in daily tabloids and have no recourse except perhaps a letter to the "self regulated"  Press Complaints Commission ?. ( forget the Australian version-it consists of 3 people and a pet budgie)

 The Australian businessman Joseph Gutnick won the very first internet libel case when he sued the Dow Jones and Company (Dow). (it's well documented here ironically by the Murdoch University). Gutnick claimed that the Dow article could be read worldwide via the web and his main complaint was that it included a photograph of him with a tax evader and gave the impression that he (wrongly) aided that man in his schemes. Gutnick won handsomely and set a precedent which we are now seeing used to such great effect in the UK. But Gutnick is mega-rich.

       

      NSW  has just reformed it's libel laws to bring them in-line with the rest of the country which are still a dog's breakfast-but importantly again, only accessible for the rich. It's capped the top payout at $250,000 but the litigant must first go through one court to prove their case, and then a second with a jury to decide damages, which as the late and very rich stockbroker Rene Rivkin (pictured left) found when he sued a newsaper for alleging he had 'gay liasons' with shady characters. He won, but was awarded $1 in damages.

         What Straw has done-just as former Labor premier of NSW Bob Carr (the best premier the Tories never had) did, is cave into a cabal of newspaper editors who continually claim "freedom of the press ", aided by  the normally sane UK's Press Gazette  (emails to the Press Gazette and The Libel Reform Campaign as to why, in their campaigns, they don't also call for libel laws to be made accessible to the great unwashed masses, go unanswered.)

        Ever since a Manchester newspaper editor discover in the 1890's that 'sex sells', along with sensationalism and bugger the affects upon any hapless soul subject to their treatment, any libel reforms will bring no joy for those like the bunch of schoolkids whose school photo was plastered across a News Ltd tabloid front page when it was discovered their school had rated the lowest in academic scoring in the state, which earned them the headline " OUR DUMBEST KIDS ?.

       Unless Straw's panel include reforms that allow access to legal aid for defamed plebs, they will amount to nought.

# Disclosure : tSS did once sue the wondrous News of The World many years ago over a case of  mistaken identity and was handsomely rewarded with enough filthy lucre to purchase a gleaming new Mini and take a holiday (with friend) in Portugal.

### And mistakes in the Social Shuttle will always be corrected with a grovelling apology but blamed on our sub-editor Mildred Pierce. (well that's what everyone else does !)
                                           
                                                         our once treasured gift from Rupert Murdoch

## Fact : Jack Straw's increased police powers and so-called "terrorism prevention"measures earned the praise of Margaret Thatcher and he has vetoed publication of government documents requested under the Freedom of Information Act. Straw also voted to invade Iraq....you know, the country that had never invaded Britain. (Lancet Iraqi death estimates :500 people per day, or 2.5% of Iraq's population )

coming to the screen..

The extraordinary life of the late stockbroker Rene Rivkin is to be examined in the film Model Daughter: The Caroline Byrne Story, nearing completion and due for broadcasting this year.

The telemovie concentrates on the arrest and trial of Rivkin's chauffeur and confidante, Gordon Wood who was convicted of throwing his model girlfriend Caroline Byrne over The Gap, the infamous suicide spot near the heads of Sydney Harbour in 1995.

It took investigating police over 10 years to finally charge Wood who was jailed for 17 years last December. He was arrested in Switzerland after fleeing from London where he had built up a chain of successful exercise gyms. Wood has lodged an appeal and proclaims his innocence.

Rivkin's life was highly controversial at the best of times. Born in Shanghai China, his Georgian family migrated to Sydney where Rivkin built up a $50M fortune as a financial advisor to film stars like Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe and was the youngest ever member of the stock exchange.

His life began to fall apart in 2003 when he was convicted for insider trading after making a paltry $2300 profit on some Qantas shares. Friends scoffed at the time that Rivkin could easily spend that much over lunch. Many spoke of how the "establishment" was out to get Rivkin over his presumed flashy lifestyle. A gold Bentley convertible with matching worry beads, huge cigars and tendency to love appearing in gossip columns. In 2000 Rivkin hosted the media aboard his huge new cruiser with it's helicopter pad that was to be loaned to visiting stars for harbour cruises. In 1999, he played himself in the last of the US hit TV series Baywatch when 4 episodes were filmed on the northern beaches.

Gordon Wood & Carolyn Byrne

Rivkin received a 9 month periodic weekend detention sentence. His first appearance at Silverwater Correctional Centre was accompanied by a fleet of media crews as Rikvin arrived in a limousine. Despite saying after the first 2 days that he was enjoying teaching fellow inmates stock investing skills, Rivkin collapsed as he was about to leave on Monday morning. Outrage followed when it was revealed a Murdoch newspaper had supplied a mobile phone to a fellow inmate to snap Rivkin in jail with the photo splashed across front pages.

Doctors diagnosed a brain tumour and Rivkin's lawyers negotiated a deal with authorities where Rivkin would spend his entire sentence in one stretch at the Long Bay Jail psychiatric ward after an operation to remove the growth.

But Rivkin's life was about to unravel further as he heard he was being investigated over secret Swiss bank accounts. Living in his mother's Point Piper apartment, the day Rivkin's wife Gayle announced she was to divorce him, Rene killed himself with an overdose of pills in 2007. He was bankrupt-his fortune had seemingly vanished.

Finance journalist Andrew Main's bestseller Rivkin, Unauthorised: The Rise and Spectacular Fall of an Unorthodox, revealed that Rivkin had skirted on the edge of legality from the very early days of the heady 1980's when insider trading was the norm. It was inevitable that a crash was to come. Some speculated that Rene had a built-in self destructive streak, haunted by the suicide of his loved older brother.

In 1987 as Rivkin flew out from Sydney to New York to seal a deal with artist Andy Warhol to launch Rivkin's new art investment company, a message was delivered to him in first class that Warhol had died suddenly. Rivkin collapsed and had to be medicated to return home.

The film is based on Sydney Morning Herald journalist Robert Wainwright's book The Killing Of Caroline Byrne: A Journey To Justice and stars David Lyons as Wood, Tiriel Mora as Rivkin and Cariba Heine as Caroline Byrne.

The Classy Emerald City..

party pals-John Ibrahim, Paris Hilton & David Freeman

emerald

The last time the Shuttle attended the Embassy Club in Double Bay was in it's previous incarnation 10 years ago. That night 6 men arrived with pistols after an earlier fracas when one had been ejected from the club and declared "try throwing us out now !"

It was also the night then owner, the late stockbroker Rene Rivkin decided the nightclub game wasn't really for him.

On Saturday night the club re-opened in Double Bay under the auspices of David and Adam Freeman whose father George Freeman was once considered a kingpin in Sydney's seedy underworld. He was featured in the series Underbelly where actor Peter O'Brien, husband of actress Miranda Otto portrayed him brilliantly, according to Freeman's boys.

David and Adam have a partner -John Ibrahim who now has an interest in 20 night spots around the city. Ibrahim's brother Fadi is still recovering from an assassination attempt when 5 bullets were pumped into him as he sat beside his girlfriend in a Lamborghini outside their Castle Cove house in June.

John Ibrahim who will be featured in the next Underbelly 3 series is planning a tell-all book about his rise from driver and bodyguard to the now jailed drug king pin Bill Bayeh, to nightclub czar and owner of a security firm that supplies bouncers for most of Sydney.He also hangs out in Las Vegas with Paris Hilton and motorcycle champion Mike Doohan who is now Vegas based, operating a successful entertainment centre there. Ibrahim says he will give half of the 6 figure advance to the children's ward at the Royal North Shore hospital that saved his brother's life after the shooting.

Ibrahim associates have started referring to him as 'Teflon John'. Police claim they have a burgeoning filing cabinet full of information on the promoter but nothing has stuck yet. Murder charges were dismissed in court when Ibrahim claimed that rather than being responsible for the death of a drug dealer, he was attempting to save the man with the "kiss of life" after the man took a drug overdose.

Meanwhile Freeman brothers David and Adam are plowing through a lengthy court process in the Caribbean after their luxury yacht I'l Dapprima, was impounded off the Netherlands Antilles in February with $250,000 in a hidden compartment on board. Money laundering charges were dropped but the brothers were forced to fly home sans yacht.

The Ibrahim clan-with John at the helm has it share of woes as well. 2 of his brothers have been refused bail and are accused of a murder plot, his sister is accused of allegedly concealing over $3M in the ceiling of her home, another brother has been accused of kidnap and his 6'6" Tongan bodyguard has been arrested on drugs and weapons offenses.

And as usual, Rupert Murdoch's News Ltd tabloids have hired disgraced ex-cop Roger Rogerson to be their 'consultant' as the Underbelly series is screened on television.

Ahhh Sydney-so stylish at times.