At least there are. Some True friends in fashion.
Diane von Furstenberg wrote a big old check to save her friend Andre Leon Talley from eviction before she died, Page Six has heard.
Talley made headlines in the final years of his life because his one-time friend, former Manolo Blahnik chief George Malkimus, claimed he was millions of dollars behind in rent for the Westchester mansion he rented to Malkimus and his partner Anthony. It was leased from Yurgits.
But sources say superstar designer von Furstenberg stepped in, allowing Tilly to enjoy what turned out to be her final months without huge money worries.
“Andre was one of my dearest friends,” von Furstenberg told us when reached for comment, “I would have done anything for him. I would like to honor his memory and George for that matter. I have nothing more to say and I thank you for respecting that.”
Von Furstenberg, the designer of the iconic wrap dress in the early 1970s, was also a colleague of Malkimus, who died in 2021. She is worth millions, while her husband, IAC media mogul Barry Diller, is worth about $4 billion. Forbes.
Eric B. Wenk, Tilley’s lawyer during the rent turmoil, tells us, “We were honored to be able to help Andre resolve his dispute with Mr. Malkimus and Mr. Urgaitis before he passed away, but Beyond that, there was no comment other than what’s in the court record.
Leon Telle — who passed away from COVID-19 in January 2022 — had rented the $1 million White Plains mansion since 2004. But things turned ugly when Malkimus and Jurgitis claimed that the rent was massively in arrears.
In November 2020, the couple “initiated a nonpayment proceeding in White Plains City Court … seeking to evict Talley from the home and for a judgment against Talley in the amount of $515,872.97 in alleged arrearages,” according to court papers. According to.
Meanwhile, Telle filed his complaint in January 2021, claiming he wasn’t actually renting the place but had a “gentleman’s agreement” with the couple to make a $120,000 down payment. Will, and then home will be. After he paid them the purchase price over time.
Von Furstenberg and Talley were friends for more than four decades.
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In court papers he claims he has paid $1,075,588 as of January 2020 as well as “paying millions of dollars to third parties to maintain and improve the home.”
The parties reached an amicable agreement before Tilly’s death, which saved him from eviction. According to reports, the matter was officially settled in March 2022, two months after his passing.
Telle said of the home in an affidavit, “A home is more than a place where I sleep and store my belongings — it is, in its own right, a part of my life. Losing it would uproot that life.” What I’ve built here. It will be destructive and disruptive.”
“Goodbye darling Andre,” Von Furstenberg wrote in an Instagram post after Telly’s death. “No one has seen the world more charmingly than you. There has been no one bigger and more sincere than you. The world will be less happy now. I have loved you and laughed with you for 45 years…. I miss you.” Miss the loud screams… I love you so much.”
Page Six previously reported that Von Furstenberg organized a memorial service for Tilley.
“You had more class and elegance than anyone I’ve ever met,” she said during the ceremony. Friends laughed as he added, “We used to laugh and sometimes fight, because you weren’t always easy.”
The designer, along with supermodel Naomi Campbell, flew the fashion giants back to their hometown of Durham, North Carolina, a week before the service.
She was also on hand for a memorial in Westchester.
Talley’s estate, which includes his trademark caftans, Louis Vuitton luggage, and pieces by Andy Warhol, is being auctioned by Christie’s on February 15. Proceeds will go to Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem and Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in Durham.
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