Strangers at the wedding, and security keeping your family at arm’s length. It’s not all flowers and chocolates, people…
She was the stereotypical blonde, he was the stereotypical deluded old man.
Brynne Edelsten, 32, was a bit of a national joke when she turned up on the arm of Geoffrey Edelsten, 72 in 2009.
The controversial businessman, with his in-denial dyed black hair, loud suits and ostentatious lifestyle (a Rolls with the number plate “Spunky”? Come on, man) was already a source of amusement, but with the arrival of the pneumatic Oklahoma-born fitness instructor, tabloids went crazy.
Following a short-lived reality show, an appearance on Dancing with the Stars and an extra-marital affair on Geoffrey’s part, the couple parted ways in early 2014. It was quite a ride.
Edelsten is now reportedly married to Gabi Grecko, 26, whose personal style is as eccentric as his. They are, they say, expecting their first child.
Brynne spoke to Channel 10’s morning show Studio 10 about her bizarre wedding, her lonely married life, and why she fell in love with the deregistered doctor and jailbird in the first place.
Watch Brynne Edelsten speaking to Studio 10. Post continues after video.
The wedding of Geoffrey Edelsten to Brynne Gordon, the social event of the season, happened just 11 months after they met.
She was taken, she said, by his unswerving attention to her.
“It was his focus on me. He was always focused on me and like everything about what I did and like to the point where he’d call every day. If I didn’t answer he might call obsessively but he’d call all the time, he’d always checking and always thinking about me which I thought was really nice,” she told Studio 10.
At the wedding though, which included a speech by Seinfeld actor Jason Alexander (who knew neither the bride nor groom) and an appearance by The Nanny star Fran Drescher (ditto), Brynne knew only “a handful” of the hundreds of guests, and she wasn’t even allowed to see most of them.
“I have two brothers, they were both there, but I don’t have any photos with them. Every time they tried to approach me, or approach my table or room security just denied them access and they were not allowed to come anywhere near me,” she told Studio 10.
“So I didn’t even get to see them at my wedding. I thought all the weddings were that way.”
She said that while the Hollywood stars were paid to be at the wedding, she suspects guests were too – including Edelsten’s own family.
Once they were married, Edelsten was all business.
“It was a very lonely time. Geoff works every day. It’s a 3.30am start it’s a 7pm bed time. It was very structured and scheduled, there was never anything spontaneous happening.”
Well, she did marry a septuagenarian. Anyone with grandparents knows the early-bird special is over by 6pm.
Here’s the most surprising thing about the interview: Brynne Edelsten seems really naive and genuine.
With the blonde hair, the boobs, the marriage to an rich elderly guy, it’s easy to cast her in the role of young gold-digger, but there’s a sweetness and sincerity to her that makes me believe she really could have loved that odd little man.
Anyway, the former Mrs Edelsten wishes the newlyweds nothing but luck.
“What is it, third time’s a charm? Or three strikes and you’re out?” she asked, innocently.
More on the world of Edelsten?
OPINION: “Geoffrey Edelsten and Gabi Grecko are caricatures of all our vices.”
Top Comments
Whilst working a part-time retail job during university, I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with Brynne many, many times. I, like pretty much everyone, first assumed she'd be a ditzy, vacuous gold-digger with no substance or humanity. Turns out, she's a delightful, kind, smiley and gentle lady, who had better manners than 90% of the rich hags that frequented the store. Sometimes Geoffrey would accompany her (one time in a particularly memorable lime green alligator jacket), and he'd sit in the corner while she modeled clothes for him. Sometimes she'd come alone, and she'd to chat to us - very rare, as usually the staff were treated liked servants by the clients. I don't doubt his money was attractive to her - but who among us can genuinely say that we don't find power/wealth/security isn't a little bit attractive? I wish her all the best for the rest of her life, she deserves to be happy with someone that treats her like a queen, and not a dress-up doll. Go Brynne!
Lol, love this bit "but there’s a sweetness and sincerity to her that makes me believe she really could have loved that odd little man"
If he was an everyday wage slave she wouldnt have looked at him twice