DODI DUMPED DARYL FOR DI; Star at Harrods, then out; DODI; HIS LIFE STORY; DAY TWO.
Dodi Al Fayed ended his romance with Hollywood star Daryl Hannah just three days before he went on holiday with Princess Diana.A close friend of the millionaire revealed last night that he suddenly cooled to Splash star Daryl, even though he was said to be smitten with the actress.
The son of Harrods boss Mohamed Al Fayed was so keen on Daryl he even flew her to London to open the store's sale four weeks ago.
He was pictured by her side on July 9, but three days later he was in the South of France with Princess Diana on his father's yacht.
Daryl flew off to Canada to start shooting her latest film My Favourite Martian.
The friend said: "If Di hadn't come on the scene, I think Dodi would have gone back to Daryl. He was keener on her than I've seen him with anyone. They've been close friends for three years and have seen each other romantically on-and-off during that period.
"He was drawn to Daryl after her heartbreaking split from John Kennedy junior.
"Whenever Dodi went out in Los Angeles, Daryl would be by his side.
"But they are both very busy people and the romance was intermittent. They'd pick it up again every time they met up.
"He was keener on her than I've seen him with any other woman. He's been fascinated by her ever since he saw her play a mermaid in the movie Splash and he loves her company.
"She's down-to-earth, intelligent and very natural and, of course, she's also a very beautiful woman. But the one thing that he really liked about Daryl was that, as a wealthy woman herself, she wasn't after his money.
"She comes from a very affluent family and has made her own fortune as an actress, so he felt she was more of an equal.
"But he did complain it was difficult to have a relationship with an actress because she was always away on location."
Daryl is one of many top Hollywood actresses charmed by the charismatic film producer, who counts all the top stars among his friends.
Since his divorce in 1987 from model Suzanne Gregard, he has dated Brooke Shields, Wynona Ryder, Sharon Stone and Princess Stephanie of Monaco but friends say it was Daryl who Dodi was really taken with. And it was the tall, willowy blonde, who starred in Blade Runner, Grumpy Old Men, Wall Street and Roxanne, who was given the ultimate Fayed honour.
Harrods boss Mohamed Al Fayed invited Daryl to open the summer sale in July - at the suggestion of 41-year-old Dodi.
Friends say Dodi was drawn to Daryl in much the same way that he fell for Diana.
But the similarities between the two go far beyond the fact that they are both tall, beautiful blondes.
Both women fell in love with powerful, influential men only to be hurt as they watched them find happiness with other women.
For Diana it was the humiliation of knowing that Charles loved Camilla Parker Bowles.
For Daryl it was finally ending her on-off relationship with the son of the late President Kennedy and then seeing him marry Carolyn Besette. Both women have a passion for helping charities, particularly those working with children.
After her romance with Dodi became public, Diana immediately set off to Bosnia to meet the victims of landmines.
Similarly Daryl agreed to open the July Harrods sale after Dodi's father offered to donate more than pounds 15,000 to a charity of her choice.
She picked a cause close to her heart - a branch of actor Paul Newman's Hole in The Wall Gang Camp in California, which helps kids with cancer and blood-related illnesses.
Friend say the old playboy Dodi, who used to frequent nightclubs with hordes of gorgeous woman dangling from his arm, has matured into someone who wants to settle down with a sensitive woman.
A pal said: "Dodi is not a party animal now. He would rather go out to dinner with an intelligent woman, who can hold her own in conversation.
"Women like his company because he is genuine, charming, sensitive and clearly loves women."
 Printer friendly
 Cite/link
 Email
 Feedback
| |
| Author: | Weathers, Helen |
|---|---|
| Publication: | The Mirror (London, England) |
| Date: | Aug 13, 1997 |
| Words: | 693 |
| Previous Article: | He'll rush her to the altar says best man. |
| Next Article: | Lotto rich too busy for hols. |