Alex Waislitz and Rebecca Behbahani were arrested in 2023 over alleged criminal damage incident related to family feud with Venus Behbahani

Billionaire Alex Waislitz and his partner Rebecca Behbahani were arrested — but not charged — it can be revealed, amid an ongoing feud.

Alex Waislitz and Rebecca Behbahani were arrested but no charges laid after police interview about alleged criminal damage involving Venus Behbahani (right)

Billionaire Alex Waislitz and his partner Rebecca Behbahani were arrested and released by police in 2023 for suspected criminal damage related to a bitter dispute with Ms Behbahani’s sister Venus.

The Australian has confirmed details of the arrest of Mr Waislitz and Rebecca Behbahani in relation to a reported incident in March of that year. Police interviewed the duo, who were released pending inquiries.

“Police arrested and interviewed a 66-year-old Toorak man and 33-year-old Toorak woman in relation to a reported criminal damage incident on 16 March, 2023,” a Victoria police spokeswoman said.

“The pair were released pending further inquiries and ultimately there was insufficient evidence for any charges to be laid.” A confidential source said Venus Behbahani withdrew the complaint in good faith.

A spokesman for Mr Waislitz emphatically rejected the allegations.

“The allegations that led to the arrest were completely unfounded and after investigation by Victoria Police the matter was closed. No charges were laid,” he said.

Mr Waislitz and Rebecca Behbahani were accused of damage to Venus Behbahani’s car, which was parked in the garage of a house in Melbourne’s upscale Toorak subject to a legal battle between Venus against Mr Waislitz and Rebecca.

It was alleged that Mr Waislitz and Rebecca Behbahani scratched and damaged a hire car that Venus Behbahani was using, during a visit to the adjacent house where his partner was living.

The arrests and interviews came soon after the alleged damage took place, one of a number of incidents between the couple and Venus that have unfolded since 2019, some of which are subject to ongoing court action.

Alex Waislitz and partner Rebekah Behbahani

The parties return to mediation on Friday.

Separately, The Australian has learnt that the two parties came close to settling the legal dispute regarding the Toorak house later that year, before Venus Behbahani launched civil action in the Supreme Court of Victoria relating to the property.

Venus, as she is known on The Real Housewives of Melbourne, has been fighting Mr Waislitz and Rebecca Behbahani over control of a Toorak townhouse she claims was once promised to her by the couple.

In a previously undisclosed settlement offer, Mr Waislitz and Rebecca Behbahani offered her control of the townhouse in exchange for dropping her legal action, but she would have to wait six years to take ownership of the $2m property.

That offer would have meant Venus Behbahani waiting until 2029 before the property was transferred to her, though she and her family would have been allowed to live in the unit rent free.

No agreement was struck, and the case has since continued in the Supreme Court.

The dispute between Alex Waislitz and Rebecca Behbahani with Venus Behbahani revolves around a property in Melbourne’s Toorak. Picture: Tony Gough

The dispute traces its way back to 2019 when Mr Waislitz and Rebecca Behbahani, who now have a child together, agreed to a separation.

It has been alleged that during that brief separation an agreement was drawn up for Rebecca Behbahani to gain ownership of two adjacent Toorak properties.

In turn, Rebecca Behbahani is alleged to have agreed to give her sister – who was to help her with her newborn – one of the townhouses.

But Mr Waislitz and Rebecca Behbahani later reconciled, allegedly invalidating the agreement between the sisters.

Venus Behbahani’s drawn out legal fight to secure ownership over the Toorak house, first lodged on March 23, 2023, took an unexpected turn in June this year when the billionaire Pratt family intervened.

Lawyers for the family told the Victorian Supreme Court the property is controlled by them via Thorney Equities.

Mr Waislitz’s former wife Heloise Pratt is separately suing her ex-husband in a bid to settle what she says is her equal ownership of Thorney, a company started by Mr Waislitz with the support of the late Richard Pratt.

Mr Waislitz built it into a successful small and mid cap investment firm.

Rebecca and Venus Behbahani in 2019. Picture: Fiona Byrne

Venus Behbahani’s most recent statement of claim, filed in May, argues her sister, Mr Waislitz and she agreed that the house would be gifted to her.

Venus Behbahani alleged the 2019 agreement meant Thorney Equities and Mr Waislitz agreed to transfer the title of the Toorak unit to Rebecca or her nominee, and via the 2021 deed of gift Rebecca “gave all her equitable right, title and interest in and to the land” to Venus.

The property was offered in exchange for Venus agreeing to transfer her 50 per cent of shares in a production company, RB Noms, that was set up with Rebecca to promote her pop music career.

But Venus claimed she was cut out of the production company when Rebecca transferred Venus’s shares to another company controlled by Mr Waislitz without notice.

And she alleged she never received the title transfer to the Toorak unit in exchange.

She now wants the Victorian Supreme Court to declare the Toorak unit is hers, and that she still owns half of the production company.

The Pratt family and Mr Waislitz are expected to lodge their defences this week.

Originally published as Alex Waislitz and Rebecca Behbahani were arrested in 2023 over alleged criminal damage incident related to family feud with Venus Behbahani