Reality television personality Venus Behbahani-Clark has initiated fresh legal proceedings in an attempt to halt her sister Rebekah and fiancé Alex Waislitz from evicting her teenage daughter from a $2 million Toorak property. The dispute centers on the ownership of the ritzy home, which has been the subject of legal battles for three years.
Behbahani-Clark initially sued her sister and Waislitz in 2023, alleging they had reneged on a promise to gift her the house. However, the Supreme Court dismissed this lawsuit in September, ruling that while an agreement may have existed, Behbahani-Clark had no legal claim to the mansion. The property is owned by Waislitz's investment company, Thorney Equities.
An order was subsequently issued for Behbahani-Clark's teenage daughter, Giselle, to vacate the property by October 16. Giselle, 17, is currently residing in the home after choosing not to relocate to the UK with her mother and stepfather. Behbahani-Clark is now seeking a stay on this eviction order as she prepares for an appeal.
Behbahani-Clark, a mother of four and a qualified lawyer, is representing herself in court after stating she could not meet the cost requirements for her legal team. "The ultimatum was put to me that unless I met the cost requirements, they would cease to act," she informed the court, as reported by the Herald Sun. "Because they were [the solicitors] on record, I couldn't file my leave to appeal."
The legal conflict first surfaced in early 2023. Court documents filed at the time indicated Behbahani-Clark claimed she was given the townhouse during a period when her sister Rebekah was separated from her billionaire fiancé Waislitz. Behbahani-Clark and her husband, Lord James Clark, along with their younger children, moved into the home in December 2019.
Thorney Equities filed a counterclaim seeking to evict the family. Rebekah claimed she was distressed when her sister presented her with a document in 2019, asking her to sign it. She alleged that due to her distressed state, she did not understand the document, a "deed of gift," and accused her sister of aggressive behavior. However, the judge found no evidence of Behbahani-Clark acting in an angry or aggressive manner.
"I reject Rebekah's evidence that Venus pulled her hair when they were downstairs and that their interaction was 'becoming physical'," Justice Claire Harris stated, according to court documents seen by Daily Mail. "No other evidence supports that assertion."
The judge also noted inconsistencies in Rebekah's account of when she signed the document, finding it implausible that she "simply 'mixed up her dates'" regarding the circumstances of signing. Despite these findings, the court ultimately determined in September that the deed of gift was not legally valid, meaning Behbahani-Clark had no ownership rights.
The matter is scheduled for a costs hearing on November 20, and Behbahani-Clark's application for a stay will be heard on December 7.