FOR decades they were a regular sight at high-profile events in New York – the diamond heiress and her gender-fluid reality TV star spouse, dressed to the nines in matching outfits and designer stilettos.
More recently, Lady Betty Grafstein (95) gave the heels a miss in favour of flatter but still stylish footwear as she was pushed around in a wheelchair by her fashion model-turned-art dealer partner, José Castelo Branco (61).
But their intriguing love story and glitzy life have taken a dark and bizarre turn. José, who uses both he and she pronouns, was recently arrested for assault after Betty ended up in a Portuguese hospital with a fractured femur and injured wrist. Betty told hospital staff she sustained the injuries after José pushed her down the stairs.
Their glamorous life, she said, was more staged than real. She alleges José has been physically and psychologically abusing her behind closed doors for most of their 28-year marriage. She also accused him of pressuring her to create content for sponsored social media posts.
Betty, who is now completely wheelchair-bound, says José forced her to stand up from her wheelchair, hold her head high for photographs and wear tight designer shoes that often left her in pain.
Roger Basile, Betty’s son from a previous marriage, has welcomed the news of José’s arrest. Roger (75) says he’s been urging his mother to leave José for years because he believes José is violent and a liar but she kept going back to him.
He says he discovered José was abusive to his mother early in their marriage. After receiving a call from Betty’s friends, he flew to Portugal. “When I got there, she was black and blue, from her buttocks to her neck,” he recalls.
Questions are also being raised about whether Betty really is an aristocrat and heir to a diamond empire. Roger claims José created the fantasy about her being a diamond heiress and a member of the British aristocracy.
This story is from the 5 September 2024 edition of YOU South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the 5 September 2024 edition of YOU South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
HOW TO BE YOUR OWN THERAPIST
With more and more of us struggling with our mental health, here's a common-sense guide to coping with life's ups and downs
SPUD: THE MAGIC CONTINUES
John van de Ruit tells us why he decided to write a sequel - and shares how his first book helped him find enduring love
SEX CONTRACT GONE WRONG
A Cape Town couple have been charged with using a young woman as a sex slave-but some say she lost the job she signed up for and now has a grudge against them
LIAM LAID TO REST
More than a month after One Direction singer LIAM PAYNE (31) tragically fell to his death from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, his loved ones finally got to say their goodbyes.
SHILOH HANGS OUT
THE two young women look like any pair of good friends chatting and laughing as they leave their dance class in Los Angeles.
LEO IN LOVE
He's just turned 50 and it seems Leonardo DiCaprio may finally be ready to settle down
PACKING A PUNCH
Irish actor Paul Mescal beefed up for his role in the blockbuster epic Gladiator II - and fans are loving it
I DIDN'T CHOOSE TO BE A LOVE CHILD
As the illegitimate daughter of the king, she fought to be recognised as part of Belgium's royal family, but Princess Delphine says she still feels unwelcome
'I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES'
A bite from a spitting cobra 13 years ago nearly killed her but Mikayla survived - and she's made peace with her scars
THE CLAWS ARE OUT!
Things have grown frosty between the Beckhams and the Sussexes as Becks comes out in clear support of William
