Elisha Dalah’s multi-millionaire father stands by troubled daughter who used drugs with O’Keefe

She supplied the heroin fallen star Andrew O’Keefe overdosed on, then saved his life with CPR. Sober eight months, socialite Elisha Dalah has an addiction her multi-millionaire father says is ‘a demon’ within.

Socialite Elisha Dalah, 38, right, an associate and drug dealer of fallen Deal or No Deal star Andrew O’Keefe, left, gave CPR to O'Keefe when he overdosed. Pictures: Thomas Lisson/News Corp

To the outside world, she has it all, good looks, wealth, is a well-known figure in the elite glamour set and has the unfettered love of one of Sydney’s wealthiest families.

But socialite Elisha Dalah, 38, an associate and drug dealer of fallen Deal or No Deal star Andrew O’Keefe, has long struggled with addiction which her loved ones have characterised as “a demon” within her.

Her family say they are praying that after years of substance abuse, the recent shock of witnessing O’Keefe collapse from an overdose on heroin she had given him at his Vaucluse apartment in the Eastern Suburbs -— and performing frenzied CPR that saved his life — is the wake-up call that will finally break the cycle of her addictions.

“She’s in rehab at the moment and has to go by court order every day and it’s doing her good, she’s very vulnerable at the moment,” said her father Michael Dalah, a former rag trader and ex co-owner of ex-Elizabeth Bay Marina.

“She got a big lesson from it (O’Keefe) and hopefully she is on the mend.

Elisha Dalah has been sober for eight months and enjoying living with her family in Point Piper in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs after saving broken presenter Andrew O’Keefe’s life from a heroin overdose. Picture: Julian Andrews

“It’s a very sad illness and what happened has had an impact, and she’s learning life must go on.

“As a family we hope and pray she is on the mend, that she can redeem herself from this terrible disease. She needs good friends,” he said.

“It has been a big worry for all our family, what can you do?

“We all have to live with what we have been given — everyone has a battle, we all have a cross to bear.

“If money could buy her happiness I would give her every penny I have — I would give her everything.

“This disease is beyond wealth, is beyond money, it’s a demon in her,” he said.

Elisha Dalah has been attending rehab daily and has been shirking drugs for eight months. Picture: Julian Andrews

Ms Dalah, who sources claim met her neighbour O’Keefe “through the same dealer”, has vowed to beat the disorder for the sake of her young son and supportive family.

The trauma of her unwitting part in his near death last September still runs deep.

Indeed she was so shaken by the ordeal she refused to leave home on New Year’s Eve and lay in bed with her son, sending friends videos of fireworks from her bedroom texting: “Didn’t need to leave my room in the end … happy new year peeps.”

Ms Dalah’s father Michael, who co-owned Elizabeth Bay Marina Michael, says he will never turn his back on his daughter as she battles “the demon” of substance use disorder. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

She has remained sober for eight months, attends rehab as a day patient daily and continues to engage in substance abuse and psychological counselling and has not offended since she was charged.

O’Keefe had been seen picking up Ms Dalah from the family’s waterfront home days before he overdosed and was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital and was later told by a magistrate he was “lucky to be alive”.

Ms Dalah, 38, is determined to remain sober for the sake of her young son and is said to be shaken up after performing CPR on Andrew O'Keefe, who had overdosed on heroin she had given him. She Picture: Facebook

Speaking about the ordeal, Ms Dalah – the elder sibling of widely successful Fishbowl founder Nathan Dalah, and sister-in-law to his Victoria Secret model wife Georgia Fowler – said “it was “scary”, thank God he pulled through.”

“What was said in court is not all true.”

According to documents tendered at Downing Centre Local Court, Ms Dalah, 38, had administered an opioid reversal drug Narcan to the embattled star, before clearing the vomit from his nose and mouth, giving him mouth to mouth and then beginning chest compressions at his Sydney unit on September 14.

Ms Dalah’s brother Nathan and model sister-in-law Georgia Fowler are said to be supportive of her. Picture: Monique Harmer

When paramedics arrived, she was still performing CPR and was “visibly distressed”, police said.

“This is my fault,” she told them.

She was sentenced last week at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court

Georgia Fowler splits her time between the Australia and New York catwalks

Ms Dalah, who lives in the annex of her parents’ $17 million home in the same exclusive street in Point Piper as former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, attends rehab daily and works as a barista at her family-owned business Laissez-Faire Catering in Sydney’s Alexandria.

Her father, who is of Jewish Iraqi heritage, is part of Sydney’s elite, and regarded as one of Australia’s largest private property owners, having acquired commercial and residential properties nationally over decades.

She counts among her tight circle of friends her sister Sophie, a Kambala School Old Girl, who is an actor and operates a boutique firm called Food Maide in Los Angeles with Australian model Madi Fogg.

Georgia Fowler is married to Ms Dalah’s brother Nathan Dalah who established health food chain Fishbowl. Picture Rob Tennent

Her brother Nathan’s twin Jordan is an established fashion designer and often dresses his supermodel sister-in-law Georgie Fowler.

Ms Dalah’s troubles began when she started using drugs at 14 and had shot up heroin after learning of her former partner’s cancer diagnosis.

She narrowly escaped jail after being caught stealing luxury face creams and designer Tommy Hilfiger jumper and a $170 face cream from Sephora using a de-tagger from a Westfield Bondi shopping centre on July 14, 2022.

Presenter Andrew O’Keefe, pictured leaving Waverly Police Station is currently in rehab after convicted of possessing meth and several drug driving convictions. Picture: Richard Dobson

Plain clothes police officers arrested her after she had breached her ban on entering the shopping centre and she had just finished a parole term for other shoplifting offences.

Convicting her at the time to a 20-month intensive correction order and 200 hours of community service, the magistrate said: “Everything I’ve read suggests you see yourself as a victim — you are not a victim.

“You’ve said ‘I’m a kleptomaniac, I act on impulse’ – you are calculating and manipulative and deceitful, and your family knows that because they have been dealing with that side of you for years and years and years.”

Mr Dalah says his socialite Elisha Dalah (right) has several close friends who have supported her throughout

Sources close to the socialite say she and O’Keefe shared a toxic friendship and talked of feelings of loneliness and the need to belong after his family had distanced themselves from him when his downward spiral from addiction worsened.

Neighbours in his Vaucluse apartment block say Ms Dalah had been seen around when loud music was heard blaring.

Last week Downing Centre Local Court heard Ms Dalah is undertaking a daily rehabilitation program “for as long as possible”.

Actress and cook Sophie Dalah, pictured at the Australian premier of the Angelina Jolie’s feature film Unbroken in Sydney, worries for her sister. Picture: Richard Dobson

She was convicted after spending five months in custody while awaiting sentencing and escaped a prison sentence.

“We’re always thinking of her well being and hoping this is the wake up call she needs to change,” her father said.

For his part O’Keefe, 53, who had been rushed to St Vincent’s Hospital where he was treated for overdose is said to be locked in a rehabilitation centre and “doing well”.

Originally published as Elisha Dalah’s multi-millionaire father stands by troubled daughter who used drugs with O’Keefe