James Packer denies new mystery woman cause of ‘break’ with Ben Tilley
James Packer has shot down claims his relationship with close friend Ben Tilley came unstuck after the billionaire took a shine to one of his mate’s ex-girlfriends, writes Annette Sharp.
Entertainment
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James Packer has shot down claims his relationship with longtime employee and close friend of two decades, Ben Tilley, came unstuck after the billionaire took a shine to one of Tilley’s ex-girlfriends.
On Friday, Packer also flatly denied reports he and Tilley were no longer friends.
“Ben and I are still friends,” he told this column. “We are just taking a break from one another for a while.”
Insiders say Packer’s relationship with Tilley, his longstanding personal assistant and social attache, was put under review by the billionaire after he started taking stock of his life in 2023.
The “break” with Tilley coincides with news that Packer has a new girlfriend.
Well-placed sources have confirmed the businessman has started romancing an attractive unidentified woman — variously described as an “American model/actor/dancer” — after Tilley first introduced the pair some time ago during his own past amorous pursuit of the woman.
Friends of Tilley last week claimed the blonde woman was one of Tilley’s love interests first, a fact said to have created tension between Tilley and his boss.
Tilley has long been in charge of creating a party atmosphere at Packer’s luxury estates and on his yachts, where together the men have entertained some of the world’s most famous and intriguing people.
These include Robert De Niro, Oliver Stone, Spike Lee, John Travolta and a long list of beautiful models and actors, including Olga Kurylenko, Megan Blake Irwin and Miranda Kerr.
Packer refused to confirm the woman’s name or relationship when approached last week.
Her arrival on the scene comes just weeks after this column heard Packer’s ex, Kylie Lim, was once again in favour with the billionaire, who was in Aspen, Colorado, last month, but is understood to be en route to New Mexico for Christmas.
It is expected Packer’s now London-based children will join him there for the festive season.
Packer’s midlife stocktake is also said to have motivated his decision to quit California.
In September, he listed his Beverly Hills mansion for sale.
During his five years of ownership, the one-time Hollywood producer barely darkened the door of the 12-bedroom, 18-bathroom compound that he bought from veteran Hollywood actor Danny DeVito in 2018 for $132m.
It also coincides with news the businessman’s key lieutenants, Guy Jalland and Michael Johnston, are no longer attached to Packer’s private investment company, CPH.
On Saturday, a Packer insider confirmed the billionaire had in recent months been attending more rigorously to his well-documented health issues.
“He has recently started working with a new psychiatrist and psychologist and is sober and prioritising his health and well-being,” they said.
The source said Packer had shed 55kg since April, when he visited Sydney for his first time in three years, but was reclusive and chose to keep a low profile.
After announcing his intentions to get out and about and visit Bondi Beach to swim during the rare two-week hometown visit, Packer instead remained locked down in his $72m One Barangaroo luxury apartment, successfully avoiding the media.
At the time, Packer’s weight had ballooned to 170kg.
Since April, he has prioritised his diet and exercise, sources said on Saturday.
And with a new woman at his side — and Tilley nowhere to be seen — Packer is focused on reaching the goals set for his latest transformation.
Barry’s daughter denies memorial snub
Emily Humphries, daughter of Barry Humphries, has shot back at media reports she boycotted her father’s memorial.
This follows comments made to this newspaper last month by one of her associates and one of Humphries’ former friends, Redfern-based historian Ross Fitzgerald, who plainly felt that after a 60-year friendship with Humphries he’d have been a better choice for MC of a public memorial than TV’s Richard Wilkins.
Addressing her Facebook friends, Emily extended her thanks to Wilkins.
“I want to be loud and very clear. I am grateful to both Richard and the organisers for their part in this send-off,” she said.
Humphries explained her absence from the Opera House event was due to her being “away working on a film project in Sri Lanka”.
“Despite some complexities in my relationship with my father, I was proud of his achievements and think a public send-off important for both him and his public,” she said.
“Privacy and intimacy were missing elements in my relationship with him so public comments have really bothered me. That they are inaccurate and hurtful to another fired me up.”
She said she attended her father’s private Bowral funeral, at the home of artist Tim Storrier, in April.
Her stepmother Lizzie Spender, sister Tess and brothers Oscar and Rupert and the comic’s grandchildren had all also attended.
“We all took part in a thoughtful service and saying our goodbyes . The public events, they’re not my thing. This said, they have their place.”
Daisy’s Czech adventure raises eyebrows
The decision to invite newly appointed “Director of Coeducation and Academy” Daisy Turnbull on an end of year music trip has ruffled some feathers at soon-to-be-co-ed eastern suburbs boys school Cranbrook.
Last week school sources claimed it wasn’t only parents of music students who were stunned to read in travel documents prepared and distributed ahead of the December tour that the daughter of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, a new recruit to the college staff, would be joining the tour. Teaching staff were as well.
Seven Cranbrook teachers are acting as chaperones on the tour. Of the seven, five are aligned to the school’s music faculty while the sixth is the school’s director of professional learning. In such company, Miss Turnbull seems an exception.
The Cranbrook music tour takes students to the Czech Republic.
Also joining the touring party are girls from St Catherine’s School prompting one parent to wonder if Miss Turnbull is on board as part of a student recruitment drive, perhaps hoping to entice some St Catherine’s girls to enrol?
Cranbrook is set to welcome girls, years 7 to 11, from 2026.
Adding to parent’s irritation, Cranbrook parents back home in Sydney were last week bemoaning the fact their boys can hardly be seen in social media photo posts showing the group performing with all the plum front row choir positions designated to the St Catherine’s girls.
How divisive, how sexist!
Oasis tickets: Drastic lengths fans are going to
With queues stretching into the tens of thousands online, some fans have resorted to extraordinary measures to try and secure a ticket to the British rockers’ Aussie shows. Here’s what you need to know.
Modern Family star teases reboot
Julie Bowen, one of the stars of Modern Family, reveals whether the mega-hit US sitcom will be rebooted, as she sets the record straight about her ‘feud’ with former co-star, Sofia Vergara.