Once the queen of Melbourne’s high society, flaunting lavish mansions and champagne dinners, Brynne Edelsten’s life has taken a dramatic and confronting turn.
The former socialite, once residing in multimillion-dollar properties in exclusive Port Melbourne and the CBD, is now reportedly holed up in a cramped, $300-a-week apartment above a graffitied FoodWorks in Fitzroy – a stark symbol of her shocking fall from grace.
Edelsten, now 42, shot to fame after her high-profile marriage to eccentric multi-millionaire Australian businessman Geoffrey Edelsten in November 2009.
Their glitzy $3m wedding at Crown Casino, complete with celebrity guests and a speech from Seinfeld star Jason Alexander, cemented her status as a fixture on the Australian social scene.
MORE NEWS
Hollywood icon faces eviction over $90k rent debt
Inside Kerr’s $3m secret Aus wedding estate
AI defies experts with bold 2026 rate cut forecast
The US-born glamour model, who was born Brynne Gordon in Oklahoma in 1983, maximised her fame with endless red carpet appearances, stints on reality TV shows like SAS Australia and Dancing with the Stars, and even her own program, Brynne: My Bedazzled Life.
During better times, the couple shared a penthouse apartment in Melbourne, with Geoffrey also owning a number of luxurious investment properties.
Once living in multimillion-dollar mansions, Brynne Edelsten’s life has taken a devastating turn.
Edelsten now lives above this graffitied corner shop. Source: Google image
The apartment complex backs out to an alley reportedly frequented by drug users, which is often littered with used needles and vomit. Source: Google image
However, the lavish lifestyle began to unravel after her marriage to Geoffrey ended in divorce in 2014.
It’s understood Brynne, who was declared bankrupt in 2016, did not receive a monetary amount from her ex-husband after the split.
Speaking on Sunday night’s Seven News Spotlight: The Fame Game in 2022, Edelsten opened up about the destructive path she took following the marriage breakdown.
“I haven’t probably had the best relationships since (the divorce) … There’s been domestic violence, at one point, (I was) left homeless and gone into crisis accommodation,” she revealed.
“To actually rebuild myself and love myself again and get back on my own two feet … I was so lucky to have support behind me.”
Geoffrey passed away in Melbourne in June 2021, aged 78.
Brynne Edelsten leaving court. Credit: 7NEWS
Edelsten during happier times in one of her luxury homes.
Brynne and Geoffrey Edelsten of Seven’s reality show, My Bedazzled Life. In the background, Josh Horner, Nick Bracks and Paul Licuria
A series of drug controversies followed, culminating in Edelsten’s current grim reality.
Her current dwelling, a halfway apartment block near the south end of Brunswick Street, paints a stark picture.
According to The Daily Mail, it’s nestled next-door to refugee-packed commission housing towers and backs out to an alley reportedly frequented by drug users, littered with used needles.
The Daily Mail observed two ambulances arriving at Edelsten’s complex in less than an hour as media waited for her to emerge and address her latest legal woes.
Edelsten fronted Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday after Victoria Police allegedly discovered commercial quantities of illicit substances in her home.
There was a time when Aussies couldn’t get enough of the socialite.
It is understood police raided her Fitzroy home on Monday where they allegedly found a significant quantity of drugs.
On Tuesday, a court heard it could take up to 12 months to analyse her phone data to determine her level of alleged involvement in the case, according to 7News.
The 42-year-old mother was reportedly in tears as she fronted court on Tuesday afternoon and denied any knowledge of any substances in her home.
She was granted bail under the condition to report to a police station three times a week.
Ms Edelsten has had previous drug trafficking charges against her dropped.
On Wednesday, Edelsten remained at home, politely declining to speak to the media.
Edelsten is scheduled to front court again on January 7.
English (US) · 