Anthony Bell accuses Kelly Landry of suffering ‘celebrity deprivation’
ANTHONY Bell has accused his wife of suffering from “celebrity deprivation” and says he never wants to see her again.
YACHTSMAN and celebrity accountant Anthony Bell has accused his estranged wife Kelly Landry of suffering from “celebrity deprivation” and never wants to speak to her again.
He is seeking a divorce from his wife, a former model and television presenter, who police brought an apprehended violence order against him on Ms Landry’s behalf.
In stunning rebuke, Mr Bell’s barrister Chris Murphy told a packed Waverley Local Court, in Sydney’s east, that his client only wanted to communicate with her “by text” and accused her of bringing the case to court to attract media attention.
The mother-of-two slipped into court via side entrance while a large media pack waited outside.
In court, Mr Murphy said Mr Bell believed the AVO “was a pack of lies” and considered it a family law situation.
He said the AVO was a “fallacious case brought by someone suffering some sort of celebrity deprivation”.
Mr Murphy did not refer to Ms Landry by name, instead referring to her as “the mother”.
Mr Bell wanted contact with his children. “He is happy to have with a nanny but not with the wife...we don’t want to see the wife,” Mr Murphy said.
Ms Landry sat in court alongside a police officer with her hands in her lap and small designer purse at her feet, occasionally running her hands through her long blonde hair.
As Mr Murphy spoke Ms Landry shrunk down slightly and began to cry.
Wearing a white sleeveless blouse, blue skirt and black flats, she appeared tense as she waited for the case to be called.
Mr Bell did not appear in court.
The interim AVO was amended and agreed to, without admitting fault, and will return to court at a later date. Mr Murphy said Bell only agreed to the order because he did not want Ms Landry to give evidence in open court — which was evidence their children could one day read.
But their relationship was over.
“He is not going back to that house, he is divorcing his wife and he will continue to support her as the mother of his children,” Mr Murphy said.
Mr Murphy said there had already been a huge amount of media speculation about the incident.
The last time the couple were photographed was after Bell finished the Sydney to Hobart race on December 28.
He hinted the AVO stemmed from an incident that night, but did not elaborate, and Mr Bell strongly denies any wrongdoing.
Mr Murphy told the court the couple had a “peaceful” dinner that night, although he claimed Ms Landry believed he wasn’t paying enough “attention” to her. He tendered an email from a witness that supported it was a calm evening for the pair.
Mr Murphy said there was an issue with one of the conditions of the AVO which said Mr Bell must not go near his wife if he has consumed drugs or alcohol.
“He has never used illegal drugs in his life ... He doesn’t have the alcohol problem in his household.”
Ms Landry left the court without commenting to media.
Bell is a high-profile yachtsman who last month won the Sydney to Hobart race aboard super maxi Perpetual Loyal.
Ms Landry, who is based at the couple’s Watsons Bay home with their young daughters Thea and Charlize, shot to fame as a model and TV presenter, including with travel show Getaway.