Socialite Under Fire, Swindling Florist Returns, and Merivale PR Girl's 60 Minutes Exposé: THE GROUP CHAT

Welcome to The Group Chat with Lucy Manly, where Australia’s most-trusted society insider shares the hottest gossip BEFORE it makes the news

Swindler back in season

He was once the talk of Sydney’s cliquey eastern suburbs – for all the wrong reasons.

But after swindling one too many housewives and leaving a trail of unpaid bills, rogue Double Bay florist Brennon Mrzyk was run out of town, and the well-heeled locals were glad to be rid of him.

His movements since fleeing the Harbour City in 2022 have remained a mystery – but now I can reveal he has quietly resumed his career in floristry.

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Dodgy florist Brennon Mrzyk previously ran Mr Flamboyant on Knox St in Double Bay before he was driven out of town following a conviction for obtaining a financial advantage by deception

His movements since fleeing the Harbour City in 2022 have remained a mystery – but this week I spied Mrzyk (right) promoting his latest flower venture online with two business partners

This week, I spied Mrzyk promoting his latest flower venture on social media alongside two business partners – neither of whom is accused of any wrongdoing.

Let’s hope he’s not handling the books this time!

The 28-year-old Tasmanian previously ran Mr Flamboyant on Knox Street in Double Bay before he was charged with credit card fraud.

More than a dozen people had alleged Mrzyk failed to pay their bills. A prominent real estate agent also claimed she’d discovered payments made on her credit card to overseas companies which her bank traced back to Mrzyk.

At the time, he insisted the allegations were an orchestrated attempt by locals to bring him down after he split from his boyfriend, a popular local identity.

Magistrate Miranda Moody disagreed, convicting him in absentia of one charge of obtaining a financial advantage by deception.

The charge carried a maximum seven-year sentence, but due to his lack of criminal history, he was fined $2,000 and ordered to pay compensation to a courier service.

Hold the front page

The most amusing tip I’ve received from my Perth spies lately concerns tireless self-promoter Steph Adams (pictured) – the living embodiment, it seems, of the mantra ‘fake it ’til you make it’

It’s hard work being the most popular gossip columnist in Perth’s western suburbs – despite living as far away from those leafy enclaves as you can get.

But after my exposés of dodgy dentist Dr David Hurst and his widow Clara were such a hit, my inbox has been bursting with gossip about the city’s many desperados.

Perhaps the most amusing tip I’ve received concerns tireless self-promoter Steph Adams – the living embodiment, it seems, of the mantra ‘fake it ’til you make it’.

You see, Steph – a former best friend of Bianca Rinehart – has been described by certain publications as a ‘renowned fashion icon and best-selling author’ who has ‘built a legacy defined by artistry, innovation and influence’.

Move along, Bill Gates. We have a multi-hyphenate prodigy in our midst!

The problem is, while these magazines sound legitimate – prestigious, even – a cursory glance shows they are anything but.

Oh, she’s been on the cover of Vanity Fair Denmark? Impressive. Elle Colombia. Nice. Hollywood Times… never heard of it, but it kinda sounds like The Hollywood Reporter.

These publications may technically exist – in the sense they have websites with articles you can read – but they aren’t affiliated with the brand on the front cover.

Vanity Fair doesn’t have a Danish edition, and there is no official edition of Elle magazine published in Colombia. Hollywood Times promotes monthly editions with cover stars with no apparent ties to Hollywood.

So, what gives?

Steph – a former best friend of Bianca Rinehart – has been featured in Vanity Fair Denmark and Elle Colombia. The only problem is, these magazines aren’t as legitimate as they appear to be

These titles are associated with so-called ‘pay-to-publish’ schemes – when a person pays to be interviewed for a publication that mimics the look of legitimate media.

Look, it’s all perfectly legal and a common PR tactic for self-promoters these days.

The interviews, photo shoots and covers are real… but it is a little misleading as the average punter would look at Steph’s front cover for Vanity Fair Denmark and assume she had featured in, y’know, Vanity Fair. She didn’t.

Steph, a graphic designer, also appears to have used her Photoshop skills to digitally insert herself onto the covers of reputable publications, like Harper’s BAZAAR Vietnam.

Unlike Vanity Fair Denmark and Elle Colombia, Harper’s BAZAAR Vietnam does exist – it’s published under a licence by local company Sun Flower Media.

But, despite what she says on Instagram, Steph did not feature on the cover of the November 2023 edition. The real cover girl was Chinese actress Tong Yao.

Steph, a graphic designer, also appears to have used her Photoshop skills to digitally insert herself onto the covers of reputable publications, like Harper’s BAZAAR Vietnam

Despite what she says on Instagram, Steph did not feature on the cover of the November 2023 edition of Harper’s BAZAAR Vietnam. The real cover girl was Chinese actress Tong Yao (seen)

An acquaintance told me her mag covers are the talk of the town and her Instagram posts announcing her latest publication are met with eye-rolls.

‘She’s a graphic designer – she puts herself on covers and creates them herself as if it were real,’ my source snickered.

‘She doesn’t tag the publication, and if she tries, the publication removes her.’

… and on to the next course!

It’s been the week from hell for Merivale after a two-pronged assault by 60 Minutes and the Sydney Morning Herald exposed alleged misconduct at the hospitality group.

It’s all very damaging stuff for CEO Justin Hemmes – who recently became a father for the third time – and we hear Merivale’s lawyers are working overtime.

They even made the extraordinary move of accusing Nine’s journalists of ‘harassment and intimidation via a carriage service’ for sending the company and Hemmes a list of 77 detailed questions they wanted answers to.

Please.

Merivale’s head of public relations, Holly Kaiser (née Asser), has been absent from Nine’s coverage of embattled hospitality groups, with articles and broadcasts instead quoting faceless company lawyers

We won’t comment on the investigation and note those accused of wrongdoing have issued a litany of denials. However, we have heard two tidbits that made us chuckle.

Firstly, Merivale top brass hate – and we mean seriously hate – some of the images used in the articles and on 60 Minutes. In particular, they’re irked by photo booth snaps from a Merivale staff party of Hemmes and his girlfriend Madeline Holtznagel.

Apparently, he ‘looks old’ in them and they ‘really highlight their age gap’ (which is 24 years, in case you were wondering – he’s 52 and she’s 28).

Secondly, we also couldn’t help but notice there was zero mention of Merivale’s head of public relations Holly Kaiser (née Asser) in any of the coverage.

On Monday – the day after the 60 Minutes exposé went to air – Kaiser posted a photo of her pet Cavoodle looking snuggly (left). On Tuesday, amid more negative headlines, she directed her followers to a Time Out puff piece about a Merivale man being named Bartender of the Year

You’d think the company’s PR chief would be front and centre hosing down this forest fire of bad publicity, but that doesn’t appear to be the case – or at least not outwardly so. Instead, the coverage is laden with responses from faceless Merivale lawyers.

We looked on Instagram for evidence of what Kaiser had been up to in recent days and found that on Monday – the day after the 60 Minutes exposé was broadcast – Kaiser posted a photo of her pet Cavoodle looking snuggly.

And on Tuesday – as the SMH published a blistering follow-up about criminals allegedly frequenting Level 6, the members-only club located within the Ivy precinct – Kaiser directed her followers to a Time Out Sydney puff piece about a Merivale man being named Bartender of the Year.

Move along, nothing to see here!