Ursula Andress's €20 Million Fortune Seized in Italian Police Investigation
Ursula Andress, the iconic first Bond Girl, may soon have her fortune returned after Italian authorities seized approximately €20 million in assets. The assets, which police allege were embezzled from the 90-year-old actress, include a luxury country estate near Florence, art pieces, and various financial holdings. This dramatic development follows a criminal complaint filed by Andress in January against her late former asset manager, Eric Freymond.
Details of the Seizure and Allegations
The Guardia di Finanza, Italy's financial police, stated that the seized assets are believed to be proceeds from money laundering and self-laundering crimes committed against Andress. The luxury estate, located in San Casciano in Val di Pesa on the outskirts of Florence, features vineyards and olive groves, adding to the value of the retrieved fortune. Investigations in both Italy and Switzerland have identified significant connections between opaque financial transactions and the Florence area, prompting Italian intervention.
Andress, famous for her role as Honey Ryder in the 1962 James Bond film Dr. No, filed her criminal complaint in Switzerland, claiming she was a victim of fraud through highly opaque transactions managed by Freymond. She expressed devastation in an interview with Swiss German publication Blick, stating, "For eight years, I was courted and wooed. They lied to me ruthlessly and exploited my goodwill and trust in a perfidious, even criminal, way to take everything from me."
Background on Eric Freymond and the Financial Losses
Eric Freymond is alleged to have lost around €18.6 million (approximately $21 million) of Andress's fortune through questionable transactions, including unauthorized art purchases. None of these artworks were ever shown or handed over to Andress. Freymond, who was previously suspected of embezzling from Hermes heir Nicolas Puech, confessed to some charges during an interrogation in Paris last July. Two weeks later, he took his own life. The artworks bought with Andress's money were found to be in the name of his wife, Caroline, though there is no suggestion of her involvement in any wrongdoing.
Andress's total net worth was estimated at €20.8 million (about $24 million), making the alleged losses a significant portion of her assets. Some of her fortune is also invested in stocks, adding complexity to the case. A statement from her management to Blick described the fraud as "of exceptional scale and complexity," involving numerous actors and structures.
Impact on Ursula Andress and Her Career
Despite her successful career in the 1960s, starring alongside legends like Elvis Presley and Dean Martin, Andress's life has been thrust into turmoil. She recently turned 90, but instead of enjoying a peaceful retirement, she faces anxiety and sleeplessness due to the financial betrayal. She told German newspaper BILD, "It's a huge shock and a painful disappointment for me. This has been in the works for many years; they gained my trust through deception."
Andress's career peaked with her role in Dr. No, which earned her a Golden Globe for New Star of the Year. She later appeared in the 1967 Bond parody Casino Royale and posed for Playboy multiple times. Her personal life has been equally colorful, with relationships including actors Dennis Hopper and James Dean, and a marriage to John Derek. She had a son, Dimitri, with actor Harry Hamlin after a brief encounter in 1980.
Current Status and Legal Proceedings
The Vaud cantonal judicial authorities in Switzerland are tasked with fully investigating the manipulations and clarifying criminal and civil liability. Andress has refrained from further comments out of consideration for the ongoing proceedings. She expressed hope that the perpetrators will be punished to the full extent of the law, stating, "I've been disgustingly cheated!"
Andress now splits her time between an apartment in Rome and Gstaad in Switzerland, near her siblings. Her last film role was in 2005, and she sold her Beverly Hills home in 2017, marking a retreat from public life. This case highlights the vulnerabilities even iconic figures face in financial management, with Andress's story serving as a cautionary tale about trust and oversight in asset handling.
