Kelly Fisher The Model Who Loved Dodi Fayed Before Princess Diana kelly fisher model
The Woman History Almost Forgot
Kelly Fisher is one of those names that briefly flared in the headlines of 1997 and then faded into obscurity, overshadowed by a tragedy that captivated the entire world. She was a successful American model who had graced the covers of Vogue, Elle, and Marie Claire, a woman who had worked for Victoria’s Secret, Calvin Klein, and Armani, and who seemed kelly fisher model to have everything she could want. Then she met Dodi Fayed, the Egyptian film producer and son of Harrods owner Mohamed Al‑Fayed, and her life took a turn that would lead to heartbreak, betrayal, and a very public legal battle . Born Kelly Ann Fisher on February 3, 1967, in Jefferson, Kentucky, she grew up moving frequently due to her stepfather’s executive position at Kentucky Fried Chicken, living in Chicago and later Toronto.
It was in Toronto that Fisher’s modeling career began. She was scouted as a teenager, and by sixteen she was working professionally, a path that would take her to Paris, Milan, and New York . Her look was classic and versatile, with brown hair and hazel eyes and a height of five feet nine and a half inches that made her ideal for both runway and print work. She dropped out of college after two semesters to pursue modeling full time, a decision that paid off handsomely. She became a familiar face in fashion magazines and advertising campaigns, building a career that was both financially rewarding and creatively fulfilling. She was at the peak of her profession when she crossed paths with Dodi Fayed in Paris in July 1996.
The relationship that followed would change Fisher’s life forever. She fell in love with Dodi, accepted a sapphire and diamond engagement ring, and began planning a wedding. She scaled back her modeling career at his request, believing she was investing in a future with a man who loved her . Then, just days before their scheduled wedding in August 1997, Fisher saw photographs in the tabloids of Dodi kissing Princess Diana on a yacht in St. Tropez. The betrayal was public, humiliating, and devastating. Fisher sued Dodi for breach of contract, held a tearful press conference with celebrity attorney Gloria Allred, and then, just days later, withdrew the lawsuit after Dodi and Diana died in a car crash in Paris. She has since remarried, become a mother, and built a new life as a property developer in South Carolina, far from the chaos of the 1990s tabloid circus.
Growing Up in Kentucky, Chicago, and Toronto
Kelly Fisher’s early life was shaped by frequent moves and the challenges of adapting to new environments. She was born in Jefferson, Kentucky, to Judith Ross, and her parents divorced when she was young . Her mother married David Dunaway, an executive for Kentucky Fried Chicken, when Kelly was ten years old, and the family began relocating for her stepfather’s career. They moved to Chicago, Illinois, where Fisher attended school and began to develop her sense of style and confidence. The urban energy of Chicago was a change from Kentucky, but it was only a temporary stop. The family soon moved again, this time to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, a city that would prove to be the launching pad for Fisher’s future career.
In Toronto, Fisher attended high school and eventually enrolled in college, though her heart was not in academics. She had always been interested in fashion and beauty, and her tall, slender frame and classic features caught the attention of a modeling scout . She was offered a contract with a local agency and began working as a model while still in her mid‑teens. The timing was fortuitous; the late 1980s were the dawn of the supermodel era, and new faces were in high demand. Fisher spent a summer modeling in Paris, the fashion capital of the world, where she learned the ropes from experienced photographers, stylists, and designers. That summer convinced her that modeling was not just a hobby but a viable profession.
After two semesters of college, Fisher made the difficult decision to drop out and pursue modeling full time . It was a risk, but it was one that paid off spectacularly. She signed with major agencies, began booking campaigns for prestigious brands, and saw her face appear on the covers of magazines that she had grown up reading. The nomadic childhood that could have been a disadvantage actually served her well; she was used to new people, new places, and new challenges. She had learned to adapt quickly and to make the best of any situation. These skills would serve her not only in her modeling career but also in navigating the personal turmoil that lay ahead when she met Dodi Fayed.
The Golden Years of a High Fashion Career
The 1990s were a golden era for fashion models, and Kelly Fisher was very much a part of that world. She worked with some of the most respected photographers of the era and walked runways for designers who defined the decade’s aesthetic. Her portfolio included campaigns for Victoria’s Secret, the American lingerie giant that was in the midst of transforming itself into a global brand . She also worked for Calvin Klein, whose minimalist, sexy advertising campaigns were legendary, and for Armani, the Italian powerhouse known for its elegant tailoring and red carpet glamour. For La Perla, the exclusive Italian lingerie brand, she brought a sophisticated European sensibility that matched the company’s luxurious image. These campaigns put money in the bank and built a reputation that opened even more doors.
Magazine covers were another measure of Fisher’s success and visibility. She appeared on the cover of Vogue, the fashion industry’s most prestigious publication, a distinction reserved for only the most successful models of any era . She was also featured on the covers of Elle, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, and W magazine. Each cover was a milestone, representing not just a paycheck but an endorsement from the gatekeepers of the fashion world. Editors and publishers put Fisher on their covers because they knew that her face would attract readers and sell issues. Her look, elegant yet approachable, feminine yet strong, bridged the gap between the unattainable glamour of the supermodels and the relatability that advertisers loved.
Fisher’s success allowed her to travel extensively, working in Europe and Asia as well as North America. She spent significant time in Paris, a city she loved for its beauty, its culture, and its central place in the fashion universe . It was in Paris that her life would intersect with Dodi Fayed, the Egyptian film producer and heir to the Al‑Fayed fortune. Fisher was at the peak of her profession, independent and financially secure. She had built a brand around her name and her image, and she had no reason to slow down. Yet love, as it so often does, would lead her to make choices that she might not have otherwise considered. She began to scale back her modeling work, believing that Dodi would provide for her and that they would build a life together.
A Whirlwind Romance and a Sapphire Engagement Ring
In July 1996, while vacationing in Paris, Kelly Fisher met Dodi Fayed. He was forty‑one years old, charming, and accustomed to getting what he wanted . Their connection was immediate, and they began dating soon after their first meeting. Fisher was drawn to his sophistication, his international lifestyle, and his apparent devotion to her. For eight months, they built a relationship that seemed destined for permanence. In February 1997, according to Fisher, Dodi proposed to her with a sapphire and diamond engagement ring, and she accepted . The ring was a stunning piece, a symbol of his wealth and his intentions. Fisher wore it proudly, showing it off to friends and family and sharing her joy.
The engagement, if true, was a whirlwind romance worthy of a Hollywood film. Fisher later claimed that Dodi convinced her to scale back her modeling career, telling her that he would provide for her and that they did not need her income . She stepped away from lucrative contracts and opportunities, believing that she was investing in a future with the man she loved. Dodi allegedly offered her five hundred thousand dollars to spend more time with him and to be available whenever he wanted to see her. Fisher later said that she received only sixty thousand dollars of that amount and that a check for two hundred thousand dollars bounced . The couple reportedly planned to move into a Malibu mansion purchased with Dodi’s father’s money, and Fisher even selected antique furniture for the home from the Villa Windsor in Paris.
Their wedding date was reportedly set for August 9, 1997, a date that would come and go in the most heartbreaking way possible. Fisher, trusting in Dodi’s promises, had put her life on hold for him. She later told The Sun newspaper that she was so committed to her future with Dodi that she gave up her career at his request, receiving a two thousand pound per day allowance in return as a form of financial support . But just two days before their planned wedding, everything fell apart. On August 7, 1997, Dodi allegedly broke off the engagement by telephone, delivering the news that their relationship was over. The reason, Fisher would soon discover from the tabloids, was Princess Diana, with whom Dodi had begun a highly publicized romance while still supposedly engaged to Fisher.
The Public Betrayal and Gloria Allred Press Conference
The summer of 1997 was supposed to be the happiest of Kelly Fisher’s life. Instead, it became a public nightmare. While Fisher was reportedly staying on another yacht owned by the Fayed family, photographs appeared in newspapers around the world showing Dodi Fayed and Princess Diana kissing on his father’s yacht, the Jonikal, near St. Tropez . Fisher had not heard about the relationship from Dodi; she learned about it from the tabloids like everyone else, seeing the images splashed across front pages and gossip columns. The shock and humiliation were devastating. She had given up her career for this man, agreed to move to Paris for him, and planned a wedding that was only days away. And now he was publicly involved with the most famous woman in the world, with no warning and no explanation.
Furious and heartbroken, Fisher decided to fight back in the only way she could. She retained Gloria Allred, a high‑profile celebrity attorney known for representing women in cases involving powerful, unfaithful men . On August 14, 1997, just one week after Dodi allegedly ended their engagement and just four days after their planned wedding date had passed, Fisher held a tearful press conference in Beverly Hills, California. Standing beside Allred, she announced that she was suing Dodi Fayed for breach of contract. The lawsuit claimed that Dodi had offered her five hundred thousand dollars to leave her modeling career, that they were engaged to be married, and that he had abandoned her without warning . Fisher wore her sapphire and diamond engagement ring at the press conference, a visual reminder of the promises that had been broken.
Allred read a statement on Fisher’s behalf, saying that Dodi “led her 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” . The lawsuit sought damages not just for the financial loss of her modeling career but for the emotional distress caused by Dodi’s betrayal. Fisher sold her story to Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper group for an estimated two hundred thousand pounds, and her side of the story appeared in the News of the World and The Sun . The Fayed family denied that any engagement had ever taken place, and Dodi himself reportedly called Fisher “hysterical,” but transcripts of their phone calls, released years later, told a very different story of a woman who had been promised marriage and then cast aside for a more famous conquest.
Tragedy in Paris and the Immediate Aftermath
On August 31, 1997, the world was stunned by news that seemed almost impossible to believe. Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed had died in a car crash in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris. Their driver, Henri Paul, who was over the legal alcohol limit and taking prescription medications, lost control of the Mercedes as they were being pursued by paparazzi on motorcycles . Dodi and Diana both died at the scene of the crash, along with Paul. The only survivor was bodyguard Trevor Rees‑Jones, who suffered severe injuries but lived to tell the story. The tragedy unfolded in the early morning hours of August 31, Paris time, and by the time the sun rose over Europe, the world had changed forever. For Kelly Fisher, the man she had loved and the woman he had left her for were both gone.
The day after the crash, September 1, 1997, Fisher voluntarily withdrew her lawsuit against Dodi Fayed . In a statement released through Gloria Allred, Fisher expressed her devastation at the loss of Dodi and Princess Diana. Allred said, “Out of respect for the tragedy, and tremendous loss the Fayed family has suffered, she has authorized me as her attorney, to dismiss her lawsuit against Mr. Fayed. Although she does have the legal right to pursue the lawsuit against his estate after his death, she has voluntarily chosen not to exercise that right” . The statement continued, “Kelly loved Dodi very much, and she is devastated by his loss, and that of Princess Diana. Nothing is more important than the life of a human being. In the light of this enormous tragedy, Kelly forgives Dodi for all of his past injustices against her” . It was a graceful act, one that showed a depth of character that the tabloids had not always acknowledged.
Fisher later told The Sun newspaper in a rare interview that the most heartbreaking moment of the entire ordeal was not the betrayal or the public humiliation or the end of her engagement, but Dodi’s death. She said, “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 also expressed genuine sympathy for Diana’s young sons, Princes William and Harry, saying after the birth of her own daughter years later that she could not imagine what they must have felt losing their mother in such a sudden and violent way. Fisher was unable to attend Dodi’s funeral because she could not fly to London in time, a small but painful detail in a story already filled with tragedy and missed connections and what‑ifs.
Testifying at the Inquest and Finding New Love
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Fisher largely disappeared from public view after dropping her lawsuit and returning to a quieter life. But she was compelled to reemerge in 2007 when she was called to testify at the inquest into the deaths of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed, held in London . The inquest was a formal judicial inquiry intended to determine the facts surrounding the fatal car crash, including whether there had been any conspiracy or foul play. For Fisher, it was an uncomfortable and unwelcome return to the spotlight after a decade of hard‑won privacy. She later expressed how humiliating it was to sit in a courtroom and try to prove to skeptical strangers that someone had actually wanted to marry her, that her engagement had been real, and that her heartbreak had been genuine.
Also in 2007, the same year as the inquest, Fisher met the man who would become her husband and the father of her child. While on a safari in the Central African Republic, a trip she might not have taken if not for her newfound freedom from the past, she met Mikhail Movshina, a Russian pilot who shared her love for adventure and travel . Their connection was immediate and different from anything she had experienced before. Unlike her whirlwind romance with Dodi, which had been fueled by passion, wealth, and the glamour of the international jet set, this relationship developed at a more natural pace. It was built on mutual respect, shared interests, and a genuine appreciation for each other’s company, not on promises of mansions and allowances.
Fisher and Movshina lived together in Paris and the French Alps for a time, enjoying the beauty of Europe and each other’s company. Eventually, they decided to settle in the United States, choosing the quiet, unassuming town of Aiken, South Carolina, as their home. In 2011, Fisher gave birth to her daughter, Alexandra Grace, a moment that brought new meaning and joy to her life . Becoming a mother softened the sharp edges of the past and gave her a new perspective on everything that had happened. She has said that having a daughter made her think even more about Diana’s sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, and what they must have endured losing their mother at such young, vulnerable ages. She has kept her daughter out of the public eye, determined to give her a normal childhood free from the media attention that once consumed her own life.
A New Career in Property Development in South Carolina
Today, Kelly Fisher goes by the name Kelly Movshina, having taken her husband’s surname after their marriage. She has left the fashion world behind completely, trading the runway lights, the flash of cameras, and the chaos of international travel for the more grounded, practical profession of property development. In Aiken, South Carolina, a small city known for its horse country and Southern charm, she has built a new career and a new identity, far from the paparazzi and tabloid headlines that once defined her . Her estimated net worth is approximately three million dollars, accumulated through her successful modeling career, her property development work, and presumably some financial settlements related to her relationship with Dodi Fayed.
Fisher’s choice to work in real estate and property development reflects her desire for stability, control, and tangible results. Unlike modeling, which depends on youth, luck, and the whims of clients, photographers, and magazine editors, property development offers concrete outcomes. She can buy a rundown house, renovate it, and sell it for a profit. She can see the results of her labor in the walls she has painted and the floors she has refinished. She has applied the same discipline, attention to detail, and work ethic that she once brought to photo shoots and runway shows to the very different challenges of the real estate market. Her husband, Mikhail Movshina, continues to work as a pilot, traveling the world while Fisher and their daughter Alexandra remain in South Carolina.
In a lengthy interview with The Sun in 2017, twenty years after the crash that killed Dodi and Diana, Fisher reflected on the tumultuous events of 1997 and how they had shaped the person she became. She said she had left all grievances in the past, despite the controversy and drama and public humiliation that had surrounded her, Dodi, and Diana. She has kept the sapphire and diamond engagement ring that Dodi gave her as a memento of their time together, a small, tangible reminder of a love that could have been . She does not dwell on what might have been, nor does she express bitterness toward Diana, who she acknowledges was caught in circumstances far beyond her control. Instead, Fisher has chosen to focus on the present, on her family, on her work, and on the quiet satisfaction of a life well lived away from the cameras.
The Crown Portrayal and Legacy in Popular Culture
In November 2023, Netflix released the sixth season of its critically acclaimed historical drama The Crown, which dramatized the final weeks of Princess Diana’s life and her relationship with Dodi Fayed. Among the characters portrayed in the season was Kelly Fisher, played by Welsh actress Erin Richards, who is best known for her role in the television series Gotham . The show depicted Fisher as “Madame Bikini,” a nickname given to her by Mohamed Al‑Fayed, who was eager to see his son married to Diana rather than to an American model he considered beneath the family’s status. The series reignited public interest in Fisher’s story, introducing her to a new generation of viewers who were too young to remember the events of 1997.
The Crown’s portrayal of Fisher is largely sympathetic, showing her as a woman who was genuinely in love with Dodi and who was blindsided and heartbroken by his sudden relationship with Diana. In the show, Fisher is seen picking out antique furniture for the couple’s planned Malibu home and expressing her hurt and confusion as Dodi becomes increasingly distant and unavailable. The series accurately depicts her lawsuit against Dodi and the press conference where she announced her intentions with Gloria Allred at her side, looking tearful but determined. While some dramatic liberties were taken, as is common with historical fiction and television drama, the core of Fisher’s story remains intact and recognizable. The show ends with Fisher dropping the lawsuit after learning of Dodi’s death, a moment of grace and forgiveness in the midst of overwhelming tragedy.
For Fisher, now living quietly in South Carolina with her husband and daughter, the renewed attention from The Crown has been an unwelcome reminder of a painful period in her life that she would rather leave in the past. She has not participated in any promotional interviews about the show, nor has she sought to capitalize on its popularity with tell‑all books or paid appearances. Instead, she has continued her work as a property developer and her life as a mother and wife. Those who know her describe her as kind, private, and remarkably resilient, a woman who has survived public humiliation, private grief, and the intense glare of the tabloid spotlight to build a life that is authentically and peacefully her own. The Crown may have brought her story back into the headlines, but Kelly Fisher has no interest in staying there. She has already written her own ending, one defined not by heartbreak but by healing, forgiveness, and the quiet joy of a second act lived on her own terms.
