Celebrity News

Saatchi used daughter, ex-wife to smear Nigella: sources

Art collector Charles Saatchi allegedly used his own daughter to attempt to smear his ex-wife Nigella Lawson in a coordinated campaign in the weeks leading up to their fraud case, it has been revealed.

Several British newspapers have today revealed how they were approached with initial claims about Lawson’s alleged regular drug use by an anonymous source.

The 80-year-old millionaire has spoken out about feeling “betrayed”by Lawson’s drug use and encouraged his former wife Kay and their 18-year-old daughter Phoebe to release a damning statement endorsing the claims.

This was weeks before Lawson was forced to admit her cocaine and cannabis use at court where her two former PAs Elisabetta and Francesca Grillo were facing a fraud charge over misusing her and Saatchi’s money.

In the document, it was claimed the TV cook took drugs every night “an hour after dinner and another hour before bed” with drugs becoming a permanent feature of her life.

It was claimed she even got her staff to prepare her joints then used scented candles to cover up her habit from Saatchi.

Lawson denied in court that she was a regular drug user and claimed to have only used cocaine seven times at difficult times in her life including only once in the past 10 years while married to Saatchi and six times when her first husband John Diamond was dying of cancer.

It was believed Kay Saatchi had written her part of the statement, prepared in July, shortly after the now infamous images of the public throttling of Lawson by Saachi at Scott’s restaurant in Mayfair. It was widely claimed the fight was over drugs.

“I am furious that my daughter, Phoebe, was put into a dangerous environment with the heavy drug use of Nigella,” the statement read.

“[Nigella] tried to involve [my] daughter in this arrangement but she refused, but kept it quiet from her father and [me] until the furor about Nigella and Charles’ relationship.”

The existence of the campaign and letter was widely known by the press covering the court case involving the Grillos but could not be revealed until after the verdict was delivered. The Italian sisters were found not guilty.

According to the unsigned initial statement, Saatchi was horrified when he learned about Lawson’s drug use and how she became estranged from Phoebe when she was on drugs and it became a “permanent feature” of her lifestyle.

“Phoebe believes that was when Nigella grew distant and cold with her for not joining in,” the anonymous statement reads.

“That was also when Nigella’s relationship with her father became distanced and distracted. Nigella additionally had her staff prepare an extra two large versions [of joints], on a daily basis to be left on her desk, for her to consume privately during the night while her husband was asleep.

“Kay feels that attempting to entice her daughter Phoebe into this druggie world was unforgivable; that she was young and vulnerable to peer pressure.”

Saatchi later told the press he felt like an “idiot” and “betrayed” at apparently being the only one in the house who knew nothing of her drug taking.

A New Zealander former salesman and blogger was apparently also behind the pushing of Lawson’s drug taking rumors.

In her statement yesterday Lawson said she was horrified by the anonymous campaign she said was directed at her.

She said: “When I gave evidence I spoke of my regret at having to talk about the circumstances of the end of my marriage and also voiced concern about a campaign to circulate false allegations carried out over the course of this summer, then circulated as witness statements from the Grillos by a publicist, and eventually added to the defence of this prosecution in November. That concern remains.”

She added: “While this has been a difficult and upsetting time for both me and my family I would like to thank my friends, family and all those who have expressed support throughout this ordeal.”

Today she told the press she had “toughed up” in the last year.

“I will survive and move forward. I just want to focus on family life and work.”

Saatchi has consistently denied any involvement in the anonymous claims and dismissed claims he was trying to publicize them saying it was in no-one’s interest it came out and he still adored his ex-wife.

He also said when he tweaked her nose at the Scotts restaurant in July, as seen in the infamous series of photographs, it was not a reference to drugs and in fact was aimed at just focusing her attention on what he was saying.

This article originally appeared on News.com.au.