Dodi Fayed Explained

Dodi Fayed
Native Name Lang:ar
Birth Name:Emad El-Din Mohamed Abdel Mena'em Fayed
Arabic: عماد الدين محمد عبد المنعم الفايد
Birth Date:15 April 1955
Birth Place:Alexandria, Egypt
Death Place:Paris, France
Death Cause:Car crash
Burial Place:Barrow Green Court
Occupation:Film producer
Known For:Romantic relationship with Diana, Princess of Wales

Emad El-Din Mohamed Abdel Mena'em Fayed (; 15 April 195531 August 1997), commonly known as Dodi Fayed, was an Egyptian film producer and the eldest child of the businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed. He was romantically involved with Diana, Princess of Wales, when they both died in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997.

Date of birth

Early life and education

Fayed was born in Alexandria, Egypt, the eldest child of Mohamed Al Fayed (1929–2023). His father later became the owner of Harrods department store, Fulham Football Club, and the Hôtel Ritz Paris.[11] Fayed's mother Samira Khashoggi (1935–1986), was Saudi of Turkish descent, and an author. She was a daughter of Muhammad Khashoggi and sister of Saudi billionaire arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. She and her brother were first cousins of the late Washington Post Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was assassinated in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul in 2018.[12]

Fayed had four half siblings from his father's second marriage to Heini Wathén: Omar, Camilla, Karim, and Jasmine Fayed.[13]

Fayed was a student at Collège Saint Marc in Alexandria before attending the Institut Le Rosey in Rolle, Switzerland.[14] [15] He also briefly attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

After completing his education, he worked as an attaché at the United Arab Emirates Embassy in London.

Film production

Through his family's production company, Allied Stars, Fayed was an executive producer of the films Chariots of Fire, Breaking Glass, F/X, F/X2, Hook, and The Scarlet Letter, and an executive creative consultant for . He also worked for his father on marketing for Harrods.[2]

Personal life

In 1986, Fayed married model Suzanne Gregard. They divorced eight months later. According to her memoir, Babylon Confidential, Claudia Christian had an on-again, off-again romance with Fayed.[16]

In 1997, Fayed reportedly became engaged to American model Kelly Fisher. With money from his father, he bought a house in Malibu, California, for Fisher and him.[17]

In July 1997, Fayed became romantically involved with Diana, Princess of Wales, after entertaining her on his yacht Cujo.[18] [19] Fisher learned of Fayed's relationship with Diana only after seeing paparazzi photos of the two embracing. Fisher announced that she was filing a breach of contract suit against him, saying he had "led her emotionally all the way up to the altar and abandoned her when they were almost there," and that he "threw her love away in a callous way with no regard for her whatsoever".[20] Fayed denied that he was ever engaged to Fisher.[21] Fisher dropped the lawsuit shortly after Fayed's death.[22]

Death

In the early hours of 31 August 1997, Diana and Fayed died in a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma underpass in Paris. They had stopped in Paris en route to London after spending nine days on holiday in the French and Italian Rivieras aboard his family's yacht, the Jonikal. Neither Fayed nor Diana was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.[23] The only survivor of the crash was bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, who was seriously injured but was conscious after the crash. He was the only one wearing a seat belt according to some reports. Fayed was pronounced dead at the scene after he was removed from the wreckage.

Investigations by French and British police concluded that the chauffeur, Henri Paul, was driving under the influence of alcohol and prescription drugs. They also reported that paparazzi chasing the couple were believed to have contributed to the accident.[24] [25]

Fayed's father, Mohamed Al-Fayed, said that the couple "were executed by MI6 agents".[26] Fayed's former spokesman, Michael Cole, has said that the couple became engaged before their deaths.[27]

Fayed was originally interred in Brookwood Cemetery near Woking, Surrey, but was re-interred in October 1997 on the grounds of Barrow Green Court, the family estate in Oxted, Surrey.[28] [29]

Legacy

Fayed's father erected two memorials to his son and Diana at Harrods. The first, unveiled on 12 April 1998, consists of photos of them behind a pyramid-shaped display containing a wine glass smudged with lipstick from Diana's final dinner, and the ring Fayed had purchased for her the day before they died.[30] The second, unveiled in 2005 and titled Innocent Victims, is a 3abbr=offNaNabbr=off high bronze statue of the two dancing on a beach, beneath the wings of an albatross, a symbol of freedom and eternity.[31]

The memorials were designed by Bill Mitchell, a close friend of Fayed's father who had worked for the Fayed family for more than 40 years, including as a designer at Harrods.[32] Fayed's father sold Harrods in 2010.

In January 2018, the manager of Harrods announced that the statue would be returned to the Al-Fayed family. He noted that Diana's sons William and Harry had commissioned a memorial to be installed at Kensington Palace, which the public could visit.[33]

Representation in other media

See also

Notes and References

  1. .
  2. Web site: Tom. Vallance. 2 September 1997. Obituary: Dodi Fayed. The Independent. https://web.archive.org/web/20090821193241/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-dodi-fayed-1237096.html. 21 August 2009. live.
  3. Book: Snell, Kate. Kate Snell. 2000. Diana: Her Last Love. London. Granada Media. 179. 0-233-99887-X.
  4. Web site: Sally. Bedell Smith. Sally Bedell Smith. 24 May 2011. Dodi's Life in the Fast Lane. Vanity Fair. https://archive.today/20220927193043/https://www.vanityfair.com/news/1997/12/dodi-fayed-199712. 27 September 2022. live.
  5. Web site: Kelsie. Gibson. 9 November 2022. All About Dodi Fayed, Princess Diana's Love Interest at the Time of Their Deaths. People. https://web.archive.org/web/20221109144814/https://people.com/royals/who-is-dodi-fayed-princess-diana/. 9 November 2022. live.
  6. Web site: Photograph of Fayed's gravestone. https://web.archive.org/web/20231127094339/https://images.findagrave.com/photos/2021/250/3050_8a80b044-8d55-4f42-8826-31be97622298.jpeg?v=1700324924. 27 November 2023. live.
  7. Web site: Mark. Peikert. 13 November 2022. Dodi Fayed's Adventures in Hollywood. Town & Country. https://web.archive.org/web/20221113173549/https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/money-and-power/a41819571/dodi-fayed-movie-producer-chariots-of-fire-the-crown/. 13 November 2022. dead.
  8. Web site: James. Crawford-Smith. 14 November 2022. Who is Dodi Fayed—Princess Diana, 'Chariots of Fire', Kelly and 'The Crown'. Newsweek. https://web.archive.org/web/20221114180332/https://www.newsweek.com/who-dodi-fayed-princess-diana-chariots-fire-kelly-fisher-crown-1759215. 14 November 2022. dead.
  9. Web site: Millie. Payne. 15 November 2022. The Crown: Who Is Dodi Fayed?. Grazia. https://web.archive.org/web/20221115172347/https://graziadaily.co.uk/life/tv-and-film/the-crown-who-is-dodi-fayed/. 15 November 2022. dead.
  10. Web site: Rochelle. Barrand. 2 September 2023. Dodi Fayed: who was Princess Diana's partner, were they engaged and how much was Mohamed Al Fayed's son worth?. Yahoo! News. https://web.archive.org/web/20231123175446/https://uk.news.yahoo.com/dodi-fayed-princess-diana-partner-102026193.html. 23 November 2023. dead.
  11. News: Peretti. Jacques. Death of a playboy. 26 May 2013. The Guardian. 11 January 2009. London. 10 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201110101513/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/jan/11/dodi-fayed. live.
  12. Web site: Heimbrod . Camille . 20 October 2018 . Princess Diana's 'Secret' Connection To Missing Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi Revealed . International Business Times . 2 January 2019 . 6 November 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181106033325/https://www.ibtimes.com/princess-dianas-secret-connection-missing-saudi-journalist-jamal-khashoggi-revealed-2726335 . live .
  13. Hubbard. Kim. Howdy, Dodi!. People. 25 August 1997. 48. 8. 26 May 2013. 4 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304061844/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20122985,00.html. live.
  14. Web site: Dodi Fayed: Biography. 14 November 2023. biography.com. 10 November 2013. 4 December 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181204142428/https://www.biography.com/people/dodi-fayed-240977. live.
  15. Web site: Fayed saw himself as an Onassis. augusta.com. 4 September 1997. 10 November 2013. 10 November 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131110013148/http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/1997/09/04/ent_214126.shtml. dead.
  16. Book: Claudia Christian, Morgan Grant Buchanan. Babylon Confidential: A Memoir of Love, Sex, and Addiction. 2012. BenBella Books, Inc.. 978-1-937856-07-6. 91. 3 April 2023. 20 September 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230920003930/https://books.google.com/books?id=tIQ4RW0KpS8C&pg=PT91. live.
  17. Web site: Dominick Dunne . Dominick Dunne . 19 May 2010 . Two Ladies, Two Yachts, and a Billionaire . 11 October 2013 . . New York . 13 October 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131013012757/http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2008/05/dunne200805 . live .
  18. Web site: Yacht that Princess Diana spent last summer on with Dodi Al-Fayed sinks to bottom of Mediterranean . Sky News . 4 August 2023 . 4 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230804031527/https://news.sky.com/story/yacht-that-princess-diana-spent-last-summer-on-with-dodi-al-fayed-sinks-to-bottom-of-mediterranean-12933100 . live .
  19. Web site: Diana's Darling Dodi letters are read . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924030328/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1A1-D8THAH1O1.html. dead. 24 September 2015. . 14 December 2007 . 11 October 2013. HighBeam Research.
  20. News: 15 August 1997. Model claims Fayed jilted her for Diana. The Independent. 26 August 2017. 26 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190426181158/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/model-claims-fayed-jilted-her-for-diana-1245451.html. live.
  21. 2023-11-16 . What to Know About Dodi Fayed's Ex-Fiancée Kelly Fisher . 2023-11-20 . TIME . en . 20 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231120211519/https://time.com/6336052/kelly-fisher-dodi-fayed-fiancee-the-crown-season-6/ . live .
  22. News: Kelly Fisher Drops Lawsuit Against Dodi . 1 September 1997 . Associated Press . 30 December 2016 . 10 April 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210410052953/http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/USA-KELLY-FISHER-DROPS-LAWSUIT-AGAINST-DODI-UPDATE/79b153d4f20210ad69548676309c9c2b . live .
  23. Web site: Read . Carly . Diana shock claim: Princess would be alive if she had worn seatbelt – pathologist . Daily Express . 22 September 2018 . Express Newspapers . 18 July 2020 . express . 18 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200718170203/https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1021259/princess-diana-news-pathologist-richard-shepherd-paris-crash-1997-dodi-fayad-royal-wedding . live .
  24. Paul Webster and Stuart Millar "Diana verdict sparks Fayed appeal", The Guardian, 4 September 1999
  25. News: Diana jury blames paparazzi and Henri Paul for her 'unlawful killing' . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1584160/Diana-jury-blames-paparazzi-and-Henri-Paul-for-her-unlawful-killing.html . 12 January 2022 . subscription . live . 12 October 2013 . Daily Telegraph . 7 April 2008 . London . Gordon . Rayner.
  26. http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/article3033375.ece Mohamed al-Fayed: The outsider
  27. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7182228.stm Diana and Dodi 'were engaged'
  28. Web site: Moyes. Jojo. Dodi Fayed's remains re-buried in secret. The Independent. independent.co.uk. 27 June 2017. 16 October 1997. 21 December 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181221182659/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/dodi-fayeds-remains-re-buried-in-secret-1236261.html?amp. live.
  29. Web site: Kieran. Kelly. 2 September 2023. Mohamed Al-Fayed buried next to son on family estate almost 26 years after Dodi died in car crash with Princess Diana. LBC News. https://web.archive.org/web/20230902130523/https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/mohamed-al-fayed-buried-next-son-family-estate/. 2 September 2023. live.
  30. News: Jeweler: Diana, Dodi picked engagement ring – CNN . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080219171148/http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/12/10/diana.inquest.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview . 19 February 2008 .
  31. http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/09/01/diana.dodi.statue/index.html Harrods unveils Diana, Dodi statue
  32. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/161556.stm Princes lead Diana remembrance
  33. News: 'Tacky' statue of Diana and Dodi Fayed to be removed from Harrods. Chris. Johnston. 13 January 2018. The Guardian. 23 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180113231513/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jan/13/tacky-statue-of-diana-and-dodi-fayed-to-be-removed-from-harrods. 13 January 2018. live.
  34. Web site: Who is Khalid Abdalla? Meet Dodi Fayed actor in The Crown . Hibbs . James . Radio Times . 16 November 2023 . 18 November 2023 . 17 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231117202925/https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/khalid-abdalla-dodi-the-crown-newsupdate/ . live .
  35. Web site: TELEVISION NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 29TH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS – Critics Choice Awards . 2023-12-06 . en-US . 12 January 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240112003756/https://www.criticschoice.com/2023/12/05/tv-nominees-for-the-29th-annual-critics-choice-awards/ . live .