A Canadian billionaire heiress and her former reality television star husband are accused of defrauding their best friend out of a $2 million loan, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court. Brendan Fitzpatrick, 38, who appeared on "Rich Kids of Beverly Hills," and his wife, Chloe de Serigny, 31, the granddaughter of late Canadian financier Paul Desmarais, allegedly convinced their friend, Max Jan Fowles-Pazdro, 46, to lend them the money in January 2025 for a real estate project in the United Kingdom.
The lawsuit states that Fitzpatrick "exploited their personal friendship" to secure the loan, with promises of repayment within six weeks. However, according to the filing, two years have passed with no repayment, leaving Fowles-Pazdro and his wife "on the brink of financial ruin" after depleting their savings.
Fowles-Pazdro's legal filing claims the couple, despite allegedly being "beleaguered on all fronts," continues to present themselves as living a life of luxury. The court document includes social media posts of the couple on a yacht in the Mediterranean, which Fowles-Pazdro described as them "yachting through the Mediterranean devoid of any worldly cares."
The lawsuit details repeated promises of repayment from the Fitzpatricks. In one text message cited in the filing, Brendan allegedly wrote to Fowles-Pazdro, "We will absolutely have this resolved tomorrow [sic]; if not, I will be borrowing from my mother-in-law... We get funds by 2, or I will get them from her [sic]. I will say it's life or death."
Chloe allegedly told Fowles-Pazdro that her mother had a "serious conversation with Brendan" and that "March 10 we're switching boats if nothing happens... and figuring out how to pay everyone back and get the f*** out." Sophie Desmarais, Chloe's mother, is the trustee of her grandfather Paul Desmarais's fortune. The Desmarais family has an estimated net worth of $4.5 billion.
Brendan Fitzpatrick and Chloe de Serigny married in 2023 and have one child. According to the lawsuit, the couple and Fowles-Pazdro grew close in 2024 while living in Miami, bonding over their young children. Fowles-Pazdro spent the summer of 2024 at the Fitzpatricks' rental in the South of France and visited Chloe's mother's home in Montreal in September.
Fowles-Pazdro is seeking damages, including the loan amount, interest, and all attorneys' fees. This lawsuit follows separate accusations against Brendan Fitzpatrick for allegedly operating an $80 million Ponzi scheme through his mining and resource management company, Carbonatik.
Fitzpatrick's attorneys have filed a response that largely denies many of the claims in the lawsuit while admitting certain basic facts. They have also filed a counterclaim, accusing the plaintiff of failing to meet their obligations. Fitzpatrick filed a motion on September 3 to change his legal representation. The case is ongoing.