The True Story of Dodi Fayed’s Ex-Fiancée, Kelly Fisher (and What She's Up to Now)

kelly fisher being heard by judge herve stepfan
The True Story of Dodi Fayed’s Ex, Kelly FisherPatrick Durand - Getty Images

POV: you've watched The Crown season 6 part 1 and have some questions. Specifically about Dodi Fayed being engaged during the beginning of his relationship with Princess Diana—news that probably isn't a shock to your mom (who is busy dusting off her '90s celebrity gossip memories) but might be brand new information to you.

And while The Crown takes liberties with fact vs. fiction as a TV show, when it comes to Kelly Fisher, the vibes appear to be pretty accurate.

So Who Is Kelly Fisher?

Kelly Fisher was working as a successful American model at the time she met and got engaged to Dodi. In fact, they were so serious he reportedly bought her a house in Malibu and set a date of August 9, 1997 for their wedding.

According to a 2008 Vanity Fair article by Dominick Dunne, Kelly and Dodi were in Paris together on July 14, 1997 when Dodi's dad requested that he join him on vacation—along with Princess Diana. Per Dunne, "Kelly was left behind in Paris, though a few days later she was flown to St. Tropez and transported to another Al Fayed yacht. There she languished during the day while waiting for evening visits from Dodi."

Meaning that yep:

Kelly and Diana Were Staying on Different Yachts at the Same Time

Which means The Crown's version of events is correct, at least according to Dunne, who had this to say:

"I think it is safe to say that Diana didn’t know that Kelly Fisher was on another family yacht, waiting for furtive visits from Dodi, with whom she had been in a relationship for nearly a year. Diana had already played that scene in her marriage to Prince Charles. The guards assigned to Dodi and Diana by Mohamed Al Fayed must have known about Kelly. Two different ladies on two different yachts were being romanced by the same billionaire’s son."

Yes, Kelly Actually Sued Dodi

The lawsuit is mentioned on The Crown, but they didn't get into the press conference Kelly held in Beverly Hills on August 15, 1997 (wearing her engagement ring, no less), with her lawyer, Gloria Allred.

us model kelly fisher, 31, l and her attorney gl
KIM KULISH - Getty Images

Allred gave a lengthy statement, claiming Dodi had led Kelly "emotionally all the way up to the altar and abandoned her when they were almost there. He threw her love away in a callous way with no regard for her whatsoever.”

She also claimed “Miss Fisher learnt about Mr. Fayed’s betrayal not from Mr. Fayed but instead from the ‘kiss photo’ that was published and circulated around the world to Miss Fisher’s utter dismay, shock, and shame.”

Per Dunne, Kelly dropped the lawsuit after Diana and Dodi's tragic deaths on August 31, 1997. She later spoke about her experience in 2017, telling The Sun, "I was heartbroken to see the pictures of Diana and Dodi together. But the most heartbroken I ever, ever was–ever–was when he died. That was too much for me. It was incredibly difficult."

She Was Part of the Inquest Into Diana's Death

More specifically, a recorded phone call between Dodi and Kelly was part of the inquest, and includes her saying, per ABC's reporting in 2008, "You even flew me down to St. Tropez to sit on a boat while you seduced Diana all day and fucked me all night."

diana inquest
Kelly after giving evidence in the inquestSteve Parsons - PA Images - Getty Images

So Where Is Kelly Fisher Now?

Kelly married a Russian pilot named Mikhail Movshina in 2007, and these days they live in in South Carolina with their daughter, where Kelly works as a property developer, per The Sun. She lives her life privately and is no longer in the public eye, so that's that on that!

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