Former millionaire socialite and reality television personality Brynne Edelsten has been forced to call on her mother, flying her in from the United States, in a desperate bid to stay out of jail. The 42-year-old is confronting serious drug trafficking charges related to methamphetamine and ketamine.
A Transatlantic Bail Guarantee
Edelsten fronted the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, supported by her US-based mother, Mariel Gordon. Ms. Gordon, a former schoolteacher from Phoenix, Arizona, undertook a 14,000-kilometre journey to deliver a $5,000 cash guarantee, securing her daughter's conditional release from custody.
This financial pledge means that if Edelsten breaches her bail conditions or attempts to flee before her case is resolved, her mother will forfeit the entire sum. The court appearance followed Edelsten initially being bailed on December 30, after she was allegedly found in possession of meth, ketamine, and a date rape drug at her Fitzroy apartment the previous day.
From Glamour to Courtroom Drama
The court appearance presented a more composed image compared to her dishevelled exit in thongs and casual wear last December. Edelsten arrived wearing Gucci reading glasses and carrying a Calvin Klein handbag, but remained silent throughout the brief hearing, ignoring media gathered outside.
Her current predicament stands in stark contrast to her former life of luxury. Edelsten first found fame in Australia after marrying eccentric multi-millionaire businessman Geoffrey Edelsten, who was 41 years her senior, in a lavish $3 million wedding at Melbourne's Crown Casino in November 2009. The event featured a speech from Seinfeld star Jason Alexander.
She capitalised on her celebrity with red-carpet appearances, a reality TV show titled Brynne: My Bedazzled Life, and stints on programmes like SAS Australia and Dancing with the Stars. However, her life began to unravel following her divorce from Geoffrey in 2014. Geoffrey Edelsten died in Melbourne in June 2021, aged 78.
A Drastic Change in Circumstances
The allegations stem from an investigation that began in October, when police were tipped off about an alleged smuggling operation. One of Edelsten's co-accused is believed to have sent parcels containing meth from Victoria to Tasmania.
Edelsten's bail conditions are stringent. She must surrender her passport and report to police three times a week. The police station she must attend is directly opposite a needle-laden public toilet near her current residence.
Her dwelling is a far cry from the million-dollar properties she once occupied in Port Melbourne and the CBD. She is now living in a cramped, $300-a-week halfway-house apartment in Fitzroy, described as being next to commission housing towers and backing onto an alley frequented by drug users. The area has recently been the scene of violent crime, including the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old boy on a neighbouring street.
Despite announcing a new mystery boyfriend and a judging role at a Melbourne Fringe Festival event in September, these latest charges have severely hampered any potential social or professional comeback. This is not her first brush with the law over drugs; she was charged with trafficking and possessing ice in April 2022 but avoided a conviction.
Brynne Edelsten is scheduled to next appear in court on April 21.
