- 08 Feb 09, 16:20#90156
F1 Bernie: I want to woo my wife back
(If only I can think of the right formula!)
BEFORE SPLIT: Slavica & Bernie
By Phil Taylor, 07/02/2009
BILLIONAIRE F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has told the News of the World he hopes to WIN back his wife on Valentine’s Day —even though she’s filed for DIVORCE.
The 78-year-old tycoon admits he now has a dilemma over what gift to woo Slavica with— because she already has everything!
In an amazingly candid interview, down-in-the-dumps Bernie spoke for the first time about the split with his wife of 24 years.
He said: “Slavica is the love of my life. But the lawyers say I mustn’t call her and mustn’t try to get in touch with her.”
And he revealed that despite his £2.4 billion fortune and life of sheer luxury, his marital problems aren’t really that different to anyone else’s.
For fed-up Slavica, 50, walked out on him after a blazing row about their neighbour’s BUILDERS. And Bernie thinks she has become lonely and bored since their two daughters have flown the nest.
Meanwhile Slavica blames Bernie for spending too much time at work—and not enough at home, he says.
But the optimist, who put hundreds of millions of pounds in offshore accounts in his wife’s name, is still hoping she will call off the divorce—even though she’s hired Liz Vernon.
The top-notch lawyer secured a ground-breaking deal for footballer Ray Parlour’s wife, which forced him to pay a huge lump sum plus a third of future earnings.
£1 billion
If Slavica presses ahead, she could be awarded £1 BILLION due to the length of their marriage.
This would make it the costliest split in history.
But Bernie insists he wants 6ft 2ins Slavica—whose dad was a Croatian dockworker— back for love and NOT money.
Speaking of their split he said: “It’s terribly disappointing when these things happen, I tell you. Maybe we all take things for granted, I don’t know.
“I have told her a hundred times I want to give it another go. We will see.”
Surprise
Talking about his Valentine’s Day surprise, Bernie said: “I’ve thought of that. It would be a good idea. I’m going to.
“But I have no idea what a dream present would be for her. What do you buy someone who has everything?”
Bernie—who has two daughters Tamara, 24, and Petra, 19, with ex-model Slavica—went on to give his version of why she suddenly walked out of their £10 million home in Chelsea, London, in November.
He said: “It all started when the people who live in the house next door had taken the house to pieces, gone down two floors to build a swimming pool and Christ knows what else.
“They were supposed to have taken six months. They told us six months, which was OK, because we had to agree to a party wall deal. And it was going on for TWO YEARS!
“Slavica said to me, ‘You don’t give a stuff about the family or me. I’m in this bloody house. I have to get up in the morning. I can’t get to sleep.
“‘You don’t give a damn about us. All you think about is your bloody business and Formula One. When you come back from Brazil I’m going to be bloody well gone!’”
And when Bernie did return from seeing Lewis Hamilton win the F1 title in Sao Paulo, Slavica WAS indeed gone.
Bernie, who is 10 inches shorter than Slavica, said: “I thought she’d gone away to give me a message, ‘I bloody told you I was going and I have gone!
You’ve done sod-all and I’m not going back to the house like that!
“‘You’ve done sod-all and I’m not going back to the house like that!’
“I thought that’s all it was, it was just a passing thing. Both my kids said: ‘Don’t worry about it. You know what mum’s like. She will be back.’” But Suffolk-born Bernie—who is part-owner of Queen’s Park Rangers football club with fellow F1 boss Flavio Briatore —doesn’t think his lack of action over the builders was the only reason Slavica left.
He said: “People say to me it’s because she’s 50 and it’s menopause and middle-age crisis and all that nonsense. Whether it is or not I do not know.
“I think it’s because both the girls have left home and have got a new life.
“She was a super mum and looked after them like a real old Italian mum. She would say, ‘Make sure you don’t wear this,’ did all the laundry and did everything for them.
“But they are not there any more. I’m there.
“But I’m not there because I go to the office in the morning, come back at night, or I’m travelling on business.
“She probably thinks, ‘What the hell am I doing? I can’t even be a housekeeper any more. I’ve got nobody to housekeep for.’
“She used to still insist the girls brought their laundry for her to do, even though they were living away.”
Lovestruck Bernie insists that until recently he and Slavica were blissfully happy. They met at the 1982 Italian Grand Prix, where she was working as an Armani model at an F1 promotional event. They married two years later.
Divorce
He revealed they even went on a holiday to America last month—AFTER she started divorce proceedings.
But since then he hasn’t had any contact with her—and he blames their lawyers.
He has hired Lady Helen Ward, one of the toughest divorce lawyers in the country.
In 2007 she secured a £48 million settlement—the highest ever made by a British court—for Beverly Charman from her insurance tycoon ex-husband John Charman. Last year Lady Helen acted for Madonna’s ex, Guy Ritchie.
Bernie said of Slavica: “We were close. We would walk along and hold hands and things like that. I didn’t send flowers because when I did she would complain, saying she didn’t like flowers in the house. She would say, ‘These things are good for funerals.’ She hated flowers in the house.
“But she liked her life. She liked it with the kids there, she liked looking after the family.”
He added: “We went to America and spent a super time together. I came back and she said she was going to Belgrade. She asked if I would come.
“So off I went to Belgrade with her. She got the tickets and everything. In Belgrade we went out for dinner and listened to the most romantic music. I had hopes we would salvage our marriage.
“But I came back, and again there was trouble as soon as the lawyers got hold of it.”
SCENE OF ROW: Chelsea homeNow Bernie—who is the 24th richest person in Britain—is desperate not to go to the divorce courts.
He pondered: “They say two of the worst, most dramatic things in the world are divorce and moving. Well, moving is a bloody sight easier than divorce! It is so stressful!
“It can’t be good for you, that’s for sure—physically or financially.”
He admitted one of the reasons he is so keen to hang on to Slavica is he worried other women will only be interested in him for his money.
He insists he currently has no intention of getting a girlfriend if he can’t win back Slavica. “It’s like leaving the prison and going back and saying: ‘I’ve forgotten my toothbrush!” he explained.
“I’ll tell you the problem. If you’ve got a few quid you don’t know whether people could be looking for you because they want to be with you or because of what they may be able to get.
“That’s the danger. It’s exactly the same for my two girls. It’s always the worry.
“Most of the time I’m at home or eating with the children. Or I’m in the bloody office.
“So I haven’t got much chance of getting women throwing themselves at me!”
Asked if he would ever consider getting married again, he said: “Me? No. No. For what?
“Another divorce on my hands?! I’ve got one! I couldn’t afford another one!”
http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/16 ... -back.html
Bernie the Cassanova
(If only I can think of the right formula!)
BEFORE SPLIT: Slavica & Bernie
By Phil Taylor, 07/02/2009
BILLIONAIRE F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has told the News of the World he hopes to WIN back his wife on Valentine’s Day —even though she’s filed for DIVORCE.
The 78-year-old tycoon admits he now has a dilemma over what gift to woo Slavica with— because she already has everything!
In an amazingly candid interview, down-in-the-dumps Bernie spoke for the first time about the split with his wife of 24 years.
He said: “Slavica is the love of my life. But the lawyers say I mustn’t call her and mustn’t try to get in touch with her.”
And he revealed that despite his £2.4 billion fortune and life of sheer luxury, his marital problems aren’t really that different to anyone else’s.
For fed-up Slavica, 50, walked out on him after a blazing row about their neighbour’s BUILDERS. And Bernie thinks she has become lonely and bored since their two daughters have flown the nest.
Meanwhile Slavica blames Bernie for spending too much time at work—and not enough at home, he says.
But the optimist, who put hundreds of millions of pounds in offshore accounts in his wife’s name, is still hoping she will call off the divorce—even though she’s hired Liz Vernon.
The top-notch lawyer secured a ground-breaking deal for footballer Ray Parlour’s wife, which forced him to pay a huge lump sum plus a third of future earnings.
£1 billion
If Slavica presses ahead, she could be awarded £1 BILLION due to the length of their marriage.
This would make it the costliest split in history.
But Bernie insists he wants 6ft 2ins Slavica—whose dad was a Croatian dockworker— back for love and NOT money.
Speaking of their split he said: “It’s terribly disappointing when these things happen, I tell you. Maybe we all take things for granted, I don’t know.
“I have told her a hundred times I want to give it another go. We will see.”
Surprise
Talking about his Valentine’s Day surprise, Bernie said: “I’ve thought of that. It would be a good idea. I’m going to.
“But I have no idea what a dream present would be for her. What do you buy someone who has everything?”
Bernie—who has two daughters Tamara, 24, and Petra, 19, with ex-model Slavica—went on to give his version of why she suddenly walked out of their £10 million home in Chelsea, London, in November.
He said: “It all started when the people who live in the house next door had taken the house to pieces, gone down two floors to build a swimming pool and Christ knows what else.
“They were supposed to have taken six months. They told us six months, which was OK, because we had to agree to a party wall deal. And it was going on for TWO YEARS!
“Slavica said to me, ‘You don’t give a stuff about the family or me. I’m in this bloody house. I have to get up in the morning. I can’t get to sleep.
“‘You don’t give a damn about us. All you think about is your bloody business and Formula One. When you come back from Brazil I’m going to be bloody well gone!’”
And when Bernie did return from seeing Lewis Hamilton win the F1 title in Sao Paulo, Slavica WAS indeed gone.
Bernie, who is 10 inches shorter than Slavica, said: “I thought she’d gone away to give me a message, ‘I bloody told you I was going and I have gone!
You’ve done sod-all and I’m not going back to the house like that!
“‘You’ve done sod-all and I’m not going back to the house like that!’
“I thought that’s all it was, it was just a passing thing. Both my kids said: ‘Don’t worry about it. You know what mum’s like. She will be back.’” But Suffolk-born Bernie—who is part-owner of Queen’s Park Rangers football club with fellow F1 boss Flavio Briatore —doesn’t think his lack of action over the builders was the only reason Slavica left.
He said: “People say to me it’s because she’s 50 and it’s menopause and middle-age crisis and all that nonsense. Whether it is or not I do not know.
“I think it’s because both the girls have left home and have got a new life.
“She was a super mum and looked after them like a real old Italian mum. She would say, ‘Make sure you don’t wear this,’ did all the laundry and did everything for them.
“But they are not there any more. I’m there.
“But I’m not there because I go to the office in the morning, come back at night, or I’m travelling on business.
“She probably thinks, ‘What the hell am I doing? I can’t even be a housekeeper any more. I’ve got nobody to housekeep for.’
“She used to still insist the girls brought their laundry for her to do, even though they were living away.”
Lovestruck Bernie insists that until recently he and Slavica were blissfully happy. They met at the 1982 Italian Grand Prix, where she was working as an Armani model at an F1 promotional event. They married two years later.
Divorce
He revealed they even went on a holiday to America last month—AFTER she started divorce proceedings.
But since then he hasn’t had any contact with her—and he blames their lawyers.
He has hired Lady Helen Ward, one of the toughest divorce lawyers in the country.
In 2007 she secured a £48 million settlement—the highest ever made by a British court—for Beverly Charman from her insurance tycoon ex-husband John Charman. Last year Lady Helen acted for Madonna’s ex, Guy Ritchie.
Bernie said of Slavica: “We were close. We would walk along and hold hands and things like that. I didn’t send flowers because when I did she would complain, saying she didn’t like flowers in the house. She would say, ‘These things are good for funerals.’ She hated flowers in the house.
“But she liked her life. She liked it with the kids there, she liked looking after the family.”
He added: “We went to America and spent a super time together. I came back and she said she was going to Belgrade. She asked if I would come.
“So off I went to Belgrade with her. She got the tickets and everything. In Belgrade we went out for dinner and listened to the most romantic music. I had hopes we would salvage our marriage.
“But I came back, and again there was trouble as soon as the lawyers got hold of it.”
SCENE OF ROW: Chelsea homeNow Bernie—who is the 24th richest person in Britain—is desperate not to go to the divorce courts.
He pondered: “They say two of the worst, most dramatic things in the world are divorce and moving. Well, moving is a bloody sight easier than divorce! It is so stressful!
“It can’t be good for you, that’s for sure—physically or financially.”
He admitted one of the reasons he is so keen to hang on to Slavica is he worried other women will only be interested in him for his money.
He insists he currently has no intention of getting a girlfriend if he can’t win back Slavica. “It’s like leaving the prison and going back and saying: ‘I’ve forgotten my toothbrush!” he explained.
“I’ll tell you the problem. If you’ve got a few quid you don’t know whether people could be looking for you because they want to be with you or because of what they may be able to get.
“That’s the danger. It’s exactly the same for my two girls. It’s always the worry.
“Most of the time I’m at home or eating with the children. Or I’m in the bloody office.
“So I haven’t got much chance of getting women throwing themselves at me!”
Asked if he would ever consider getting married again, he said: “Me? No. No. For what?
“Another divorce on my hands?! I’ve got one! I couldn’t afford another one!”
http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/16 ... -back.html
Bernie the CassanovaForumula One: The World's Greatest Sport
