Peroxide Blonde (Haunted Hollywood Part I)

"Open the fucking door!"

A chilly breeze enveloped Thelma Todd's scantily clad body.

The glittering lights of Hollywood danced around the building, but the gorgeous starlet was too drunk and too cold to care. After a night of partying at the hottest nightclub in town (and had she gone to a few other places? She couldn't remember. The whole night was a blur), she was now at her boyfriend's apartment. She didn't even know how she got there.

She banged on the door again.

"Let me the fuck in, Roland!"

No answer.

"Please!"

She burst into tears and finally turned around and stumbled down a never-ending staircase. She tripped on the last step and fell down, scraping her bare knee. The world seemed to be spinning. God, she felt like puking. All over Roland's doorstep. Maybe his crazy wife would step in it.

The thought made Thelma smile.

As she walked over to the garage, the star-lit sky faded into pitch black.

The next morning her dead body was discovered inside her running Lincoln convertible, sitting in the garage. Her favorite slinky cocktail dress was clinging to her body. An expensive fur coat wrapped her body protectively.

Despite the bruises on her throat, the two cracked ribs, and the broken nose, the police determined the 28-year-old's death was an accident. She must have gone to her car, turned it on inside the garage, and then passed out drunk, dying from carbon monoxide poisoning, they stated in their report, ignoring the fact that she had clearly been beaten up beforehand.

But people in Thelma's life knew better. And when the details of the peroxide blonde's scandalous adventures were revealed, the public became obsessed.

This was not a girl who died of carelessness.

This was a girl who died of murder.

And there were many people who wanted her dead.

A decade before, when Thelma was a 19-year-old beauty queen on the East Coast, a talent scout encouraged her to try her luck in Hollywood. Upon the move, she quickly discovered fame and fortune in the movie industry. She played the sexy blonde in a string of hit comedies.

But behind the camera, the vivacious actress was a hot mess.

Thelma was dangerously attracted to older, rich men who physically abused her, just like her own father had years before. And she was obsessed with sex, constantly spreading her legs for every guy who offered a simple compliment. She couldn't help it. She craved feeling gorgeous. She needed to feel desired. Without sex, she felt worthless and that was a feeling which terrified her.

She was also addicted to diet pills, stemming from her studio contract, which stated that if she ever gained more than five pounds, her career would be immediately terminated.

Her partying lifestyle introduced her to a rough crowd. Her first husband was a gangster who beat the shit out of her. When Thelma finally left him, she secretly worried that one day he would take revenge. It was a fear always nagging in the back of her mind.

In 1931, Thelma fell in love with her married director, Roland West. His wife, Jewel, didn't bother her. She was annoying and her looks were fading and she clearly couldn't please him in bed. Obviously, no competition.

Plus, she wasn't planning on being entirely faithful either. Thelma couldn't help being attracted to other men and was too weak to fight off her sexual temptations.

In fact, it was her unfaithfulness which was the reason Roland never opened his door for her that crisp December night. He was inside, bitterly ignoring her drunken pleas, too proud to take her back.

And then there was Lucky. Thelma didn't even know how she got herself wrapped up into that mess. Lucky Luciano was the scariest mobster in the Los Angeles area.

When Thelma and Roland opened up their restaurant, Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Cafe, a year before, it had become an overnight success, attracting the Hollywood in-crowd and tourists. Thelma couldn't have been more proud. Here she was, proving to the world that she was more than just a pretty face and nice piece of ass. She was a businesswoman. A real powerhouse!

But one day Lucky just appeared in her life. They'd slept together a few times, after downing bottles of Dom Perignon. He'd rough her up a bit, but nothing she couldn't handle. Then, one afternoon Lucky told her he wanted to take over her nightclub for the mafia. Outraged, she told him to fuck off. The look in his eyes told her she might have taken things too far.

And amidst this mess, this circus of a life she'd created for herself out in paradise, Thelma wound up dead.

The fake friends she'd collected at her side wept for the cameras and told reporters it was a "shock."

Almost exactly two years later, Thelma's ex-husband murdered an actor at the very same nightclub where she had last been seen.

Her lover, Roland, became a recluse and never made another film. He later confessed to murdering her on his deathbed in 1952, but since he was mentally unstable from a stroke, the police dismissed it.

Her money-hungry mother, Roland's bitter wife, and a string of lovers also appeared as possible suspects. But nothing could be proved. And the police, eager to wrap up the media frenzy, stopped analyzing the situation by labeling it an accident.

To this day, nobody knows what really happened to Thelma that night in 1935.

Nobody knows who did it.

But that person got away with it. And they took the details to their grave.

Leaving Hollywood with the mystery.

"Hot, hot hot, smart, smart, smart!"

When most girls think of the 1960s, the first style icon which comes to mind is Twiggy.

Ironically, the real face of the flower child decade was really Penelope Tree.

Penelope Tree was an oddly adorable teenage fashion model, who came from a wealthy, aristocratic family.

Growing up, she clung to her closeted-gay father and barely had a relationship with her non-existent mother who jet-setted around the world with her handsome, debonair boyfriends.

In 1966, when she was 17-years-old, Penelope attended a Black and White Ball thrown by Truman Capote and the night changed her life. The media became obsessed with her shockingly risque black attire. Her elf-like features were mystifyingly beautiful. The next day, Vogue called, begging her to grace a cover.

The gimpish model became a household name overnight. She started attending the hottest parties, where she mingled with superstars like John Lennon (who adored her). The teenage It Girl then quickly moved in with her new boyfriend, the famous British photographer David Bailey, who was still married to the French movie star Catherine Deneuve.

Beneath the glittering limelight, however, life wasn't picture-perfect.

Penelope was anorexic and bulimic, desperate to keep her weight in check with the boyish body image of the time. She was also miserably aware that the love of her life, her much-older boyfriend, had a wandering eye.

By the early 1970s, her world came crashing down when Penelope developed severe cystic acne, which covered her face with large, unsightly bumps and later, scarring. By her mid-20s, her modeling career was finished.

Even her own boyfriend couldn't stand to look at her face. David took off with a younger model in 1974, abruptly and cruelly ending their six-year relationship.

Bewildered and shocked, the unhappy ex-model roamed around the world with her savings. She got married. Had a daughter. Explored her religious options.

In the 1980s, she found peace with Buddhism.

These days, she spends most of her time immersed in charity work for two Buddhist organizations, which help impoverished children in Asia. She's very passionate about her work. She also writes books and has a close relationship with her two adult children.

Oh, and the model recently got back in front of the camera again to promote Burberry with a supermodel who has long been compared to herself: Kate Moss.

And even though most of you probably didn't even know her name, Penelope still wins. Because she's happy now.

The Black Panther Queen

A few weeks ago, I read a news article that briefly mentioned someone so utterly fascinating, I had to look her up.

The more I learned about this woman, the more obsessed I became. Everything about her life was so mysterious and glamorous, that I simply had to know more. I seriously spent hours scouring the internet for every news article, website, wikipedia entry, and blog post that had her mentioned.

Using these sources, I've managed to patch together the fascinating life of a bizarrely obscure figure who has barely any presence on the internet. In fact, in all my searching, I could only find a handful of photos of this woman.

Here is her story.

Nina Dyer was born in 1930 to wealthy British parents, who owned extensive property in Sri Lanka. She was raised in the exotic country but moved to Paris as a teenager to become a high fashion model. She was gorgeous, she was flirty, and she craved extravagance.

It wasn't long before she was invited to party on the most luxurious yachts and mingle with wealthy jet-setters at the hottest social events.

At 17 years old, Nina started having an affair with the very eccentric and very married Baron von Thyssen, who was the richest man in Europe at the time. He lavished his young mistress with jaw-dropping gifts. On Valentine's Day, he presented the teenager with her very own Caribbean island. Nina caused quite a media scandal by bathing nude on the beaches there. The Baron also gave her two sports cars with gold-plated ignition keys, expensive jewelry, and two black panthers.

Finally, the lovesick Baron left his wife, an Austrian princess, for Nina. They married in 1954.

But three months into their marriage, Nina ended up cheating on him with a hot, struggling actor, who was around her own age.

In their divorce settlement, Nina received $2.8 million, $364,000 worth of jewelry, and a sprawling chateau.

When she wasn't busy having scandalous affairs with both men and women, Nina spent most of her free time taking care of her two black panthers. She took the animals with her everywhere, much to the distress of other people. Almost every single fancy hotel suite she stayed in was literally ripped apart by the two wild cats.

In 1957, at the age of 27, Nina married Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan in Switzerland. She converted to Islam and took the name Shirin. He was so busy with work (he had just been appointed the Special Envoy to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and Nina spent most of her time in Paris, trying to resurrect her modeling career, that the newlyweds barely saw each other. They divorced five years later.

In that settlement, Nina received $1.4 million.

Although Nina was young, beautiful, and filthy rich, she still was desperately unhappy. She had no children, barely any friends, and her vibrant personality was fading.

In 1965, at only 35 years old, Nina over-dosed on sleeping pills. Her maid found her lifeless body the next morning.

Since her death, she has ceased to exist. There are no books about her life. She isn't portrayed in films. It's actually almost impossible to even find her modeling shots. She seems to have been erased from history.

The only shred of legacy Nina left behind is the jewels which once adorned her body. For example, the richest people in the world are still trying to get their hands on the Nina Dyer Black Pearl Necklace, a three-strand black pearl necklace from Cartier, which was a present from her first husband.

If you dig hard enough, you'll find numerous news articles from the 1980s, even up until 2010, revealing that descendants of her husbands, and even her own second-third-fourth generation cousins, are anxiously looking for missing Nina Dyer jewels, or fighting custody for ones already discovered.

But nobody talks about the woman behind the sparkle.

Perhaps that is a premonition Nina already had when she started fading away behind the diamonds.

Because when you live your life to only seek pleasure, what else is left?

I don't think she liked the answer.

The Other Side of April

When April Ashley was 25, she was on top of the world.

The jaw-dropping beauty was a top London fashion model, with an editorial in Vogue. She had just filmed her first role in a major film. She had a string of enviable affairs with handsome movie stars like Omar Sharif and Peter O'Toole. Her captivated admirers included Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso.

But in 1961, her world came crashing down.

A story, told by a former friend, revealed that April had been born a boy. She had received a sex change operation in Casablanca when she was 24.

The scandal shocked the entire world. Sex change operations were practically unheard of at the time. April had been the first British person to get one.

The backlash towards the promising young model was severe. Bookings were cancelled overnight. Her film credit was taken away. She received threatening phone calls. She was told her career was over, before it had even taken off.

April was heartbroken. After getting her sex change operation in 1960, she thought she had been set free.

But her struggles were only just beginning.

Born as George Jamieson in Liverpool to a working class family, April had always known she was different. She had under-developed genitalia. She was not growing normal, sexually. She looked and felt feminine. But it didnt' make any difference. She was born technically male. And if you were born male in the 1930s, you were male in the eyes of society.

At 14, she joined the Navy to grasp at some masculinity, but she encountered merciless bullying and was so unhappy with her identity crisis, she attempted suicide. She was put in a mental institution and given electro-shock therapy. After being released, she tried to lead a normal life as a man, but found it difficult. She was even raped by her roommate, which left her severely injured.

She eventually moved to Paris under a new name and became a drag queen at a prominent hot spot frequented by Ernest Hemingway and Bob Hope.

In 1960, she was introduced to a Moroccan surgeon who had successfully performed eight sex change operations. After becoming his ninth, she moved to London where her undeniable beauty immediately earned her a modeling contract.

When the scandal broke out, April didn't allow it to ruin her life. She kept her head held high.

In 1963, she fell in love with Arthur Corbett, a wealthy aristocratic married father of four who had a secret obsession with cross-dressing. He left his wife for April and they became the toast of high society.

But the marriage dissolved quickly and Arthur annulled the marriage on the grounds that it had never been legal to begin with, since April had been born male. The identity crisis came crashing down on April yet again.

In the next few decades, April put aside her unhappiness and embraced her difference. She wrote a heartfelt autobiography. She met the love of her life. She gave talks educating the masses on transsexualism. She advocated heavily for others like her.

Due to her hard work, she was recently awarded the MBE in the Queen's birthday honors for services to transgender equality.

Not bad for a girl who thought her life was over, right?

Billion (Heirs)

The other day, I showcased a few heiresses who stood out among a sea of Paris Hiltons.

Now, I'm going to show you a few guys who decided to follow their hearts as well.

They're hot. They're rich. And as far as I know, they're single.

Ummmmm yes, please.

Enjoy!

Count Gian Luca Passi De Preposulo (The Dapper Gent)

A well-dressed (or undressed) nobleman with a heart of gold, Gian's aristocratic family dates back 1,000 years. The handsome Italian could easily live off his parents' money and travel around the world, chasing skirts. But that is so not his style.The charming 29-year-old is currently the Director of Public Relations at Armani.

When he's not busy being an important figure in the fashion world, Gian enjoys hanging out with his close friends George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Tom Cruise in Hollywood.

His sweet demeanor is not just an act. One of Gian's most famous quotes is:

"It’s not the title that’s important—you have to be a count inside yourself."

Awwwwwww!

Alex Flick (The Hollywood Guy)

Believe it or not this Mercedes Benz heir (and German royal!) is actually a pretty talented documentary filmmaker and photographer. The London-based director got his big break by defying his father and quitting college to make his first film. Over the past few years, he has traveled all over the world, capturing his adventures on film. The 26-year-old funds all his films himself, with no financial help from his father.

A couple years ago, Alex released Calabash, a well-received documentary which chronicled the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

His most recent film, Duke’s World, has been submitted to several international film festivals. It revolves around an impoverished town in South Carolina, where residents struggle to survive.

When Alex isn't working, he spends a lot of time on special art projects with his cousin and close friend, Princess Elisabeth, who you might recognize as the Vogue style editor from my last post.


Julio Mario Santo Domingo, III (The Record Spinner)

Born to a powerful, wealthy Colombian dynasty, Julio was brought up in a world of privilege. He grew up in Switzerland, got his degree in Art History from Boston University, and divides his time between family mansions sprawled all over the world. But a few years ago, Julio decided to follow his passion: dance music, specifically psychedelic techno.

In 2008, he founded his own record label, Sheik n' Beik and he performs as a DJ at the hottest clubs and parties all around the globe. His favorite places to spin tracks are Ibiza and Frankfurt. The 27-year-old also just recently purchased a sprawling penthouse in New York City.


What do you think of these guys? Which one is your favorite?

(Not So) Society Girls

I've always felt very strongly that I was switched at birth.

I just know my real parents are out there, waiting for me in their mansion, desperate for me to come home to their billion dollar arms.

It's tragic.

Anyway, I've decided to showcase three incredible women who are living my life.

These heiresses chose not to be the Paris Hiltons of the world. They grew up with passion. They worked hard to achieve their goals. They went to college. They've held internships. Now, they're ready to take on the world.

Enjoy!


Dasha Zhukova (The Art World It Girl)

Her father is a Russian billionaire and her mother is a biologist. She was raised in the United States, partly in Houston and partly in Los Angeles.

The 30-year-old is queen of the Russian arts scene, after founding the legendary Garage Center for Contemporary Culture, which is basically a prominent venue for artists in Moscow. It holds conferences, workshops, and meetings for the who's who of the modern art world.

The stunning socialite is currently dating a middle-aged billionaire, Roman Abramovich, who has a shady past. He has powerful political ties in Europe and boasts 40 body guards, making him the most protected businessman in the world. He actually left his wife and five kids for Dasha. The two have a son together.


Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis (The Fashion Journalist)

This German beauty was the first princess to have a blog (appropriately titled The Princess Diaries). The writer and editor, living in London, journaled about her love for high fashion, her passion for art, and her globe-trotting, glamorous life. She ended the blog a couple years ago, promising her followers she was going to write a book.

The 30-year-old is currently the Style Editor-at-Large for Vogue Magazine. She has also written a book, "The Faith of Children," which chronicles her spirituality and her life as a royal.


Holly Branson (The Girl Next Door)

Holly is the daughter of Sir Richard Branson, a British billionaire who founded the Virgin mega-brand. Ever since she was a little girl, Holly dreamed of being a doctor. Yes. An actual physician. The 30-year-old beauty recently achieved her goal and got married to her high-school sweetheart. She also helps out with her father's business.

Although the blue jean clad Holly leads a simple life and often jokes she would make a very, very boring reality show, she is actually just being modest. The outgoing socialite is extremely close friends with the British royal family, particularly William and Kate. Her wedding ceremony took place on her father's private Caribbean island. Oh, and she's gorgeous. Not such a simple life, is it?


What do you think of these girls? Which one is your favorite?