Bindi Harris, the only child of disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris, has taken significant steps to distance herself from her father's legacy following his 2014 conviction for indecent assaults. Now 62, she has changed her name to Ava Reeves and sold the family home in Bray, Berkshire, at a heavily discounted price.
Harris, once a beloved TV personality and cartoonist, was jailed for 12 indecent assaults against four girls, including one aged just seven or eight. He died in May 2023 at age 93 from neck cancer, leaving a £16 million fortune. Bindi was the main beneficiary of his will, as well as her mother Alwen Hughes' estate, valued at £3.84 million after deductions.
Name Change and Artistic Career
Documents revealed that Bindi had changed her name to Ava Reeves, a move confirmed in her mother's will. A source told The Sun in 2023: "Obviously, anything by a Harris is pretty much unsellable so Bindi is working under the pseudonym in a bid to be taken seriously in the art world. She's chuffed that galleries have begun to take on some of her pieces."
Sale of Family Mansion
The Harris family mansion in Bray, Berkshire, was put up for sale two years after Harris' death, with an asking price of £4 million. A source said Bindi was "in no rush" to sell, but the property eventually sold at auction with bidding starting at £1.4 million.
Complicated Relationship with Father
During the 2014 trial, Bindi testified in defense of her father, insisting that one victim's relationship with Harris was consensual and began when she was 18 or 19. However, jurors disagreed, and Harris was convicted. Bindi's loyalty to her father led to the breakdown of her long-term relationship with partner Malcolm Cox, who told the court he was concerned their son wouldn't be safe around Harris.
In court, Bindi described her father as "switched off" at home, saying: "Dad didn't really take much notice of me or anybody at home. I think when he is out in the world he wants to give everyone his time and everyone is new and he can tell new jokes. But when he is at home he is very much switched off, very quiet, quite often working, making something."
No Public Comment After Death
Following Harris' death, Bindi chose not to make a public statement. A representative released a brief statement: "This is to confirm that Rolf Harris recently died peacefully surrounded by family and friends and has now been laid to rest. They ask that you respect their privacy. No further comment will be made."
A new Prime Video documentary, Rolf Harris: Primetime Predator, is set to explore how the entertainer carried out decades of abuse while hiding in plain sight.
