Kelly Fisher is the American former model who was engaged to Dodi Fayed when he began dating Princess Diana in the summer of 1997. For years she was a little-known figure in that story. Then Netflix brought her back into view in The Crown season 6 part 1, where Erin Richards plays her. Below is who she is, what really happened between her and Dodi, and where her life has gone since.
Kelly Fisher Biography
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kelly Fisher |
| Married Name | Kelly Movshina |
| Year of Birth | 1967 |
| Place of Birth | Louisville, Kentucky, USA |
| Age | Late 50s (born 1967) |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession/Occupation | Former fashion model |
| Years Active | Mid-1980s – 1997 |
| Education | Attended college for two semesters |
| Genre/Field | Fashion and runway modelling |
| Spouse | Mikhail Movshina |
| Former Fiancé | Dodi Fayed |
| Children | One daughter, Alexandra Grace |
| Notable Work | Campaigns for Calvin Klein, Armani and Victoria’s Secret; covers for Vogue, Elle and W |
Who Is Kelly Fisher?
Kelly Fisher was born in 1967 in Louisville, Kentucky. Long before the tabloids knew her name, she was a working model with a solid career. She started modelling at 16, which was early but common in the industry at that time.
She went to college for two semesters and then chose to model full time. That decision paid off. Over the next decade she worked with big brands like Calvin Klein, Armani and Victoria’s Secret, and appeared on magazine covers including Vogue, Elle and W.
Some profiles also connect her early career to Toronto, Ontario, where many young North American models built their portfolios. Still, she has always been described as an American model with Kentucky roots and a close family.
The gap between “successful model” and “famous name” is huge. Kelly Fisher was firmly in the first group until her engagement put her in the middle of one of the biggest news stories of the 1990s.
Kelly Fisher and Dodi Fayed’s Relationship and Engagement
Kelly Fisher met Dodi Fayed in Paris in 1996. Dodi was the son of Mohamed al Fayed, the billionaire owner of Harrods, and the press saw him as a wealthy playboy. Their relationship moved fast, and within less than a year they were talking about marriage.
By her own account, Dodi proposed and gave her a sapphire and diamond ring reportedly worth around $233,000. The engagement became public knowledge in early 1997. He also bought a house in Malibu that she understood was meant to be their home together.
The two had planned to marry in August 1997, with a wedding date reported as 9 August. Before that could happen, Dodi’s relationship with Diana made headlines around the world. Fisher said he ended things by phone, only days before the wedding was due to take place.
The timeline below shows how quickly everything happened:
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1996 | Kelly Fisher meets Dodi Fayed in Paris |
| February 1997 | Engagement becomes known |
| July 1997 | Dodi begins spending time with Diana in St. Tropez |
| 7 August 1997 | Fisher learns the relationship is over |
| 9 August 1997 | Planned wedding date |
Writer Dominick Dunne later wrote about her side of the story in a Vanity Fair article, which gave the whirlwind romance more weight with readers. Her account stayed largely consistent when she repeated it in 2008.
Kelly and Diana Were on Different Yachts at the Same Time
The strangest part of this story happened in July 1997 in St. Tropez. Mohamed al Fayed had invited Diana and her sons on a holiday with the family, and Dodi flew down to join them.
According to Fisher, Dodi also had her flown to St. Tropez. She stayed on one Al Fayed yacht while Diana was on another. During the day he was romancing Diana, and in the evenings he went back to Kelly. Dunne described this in detail, and it is the part of the story most people find hardest to believe.
So for a short time the two women were close to each other on two yachts, and neither was fully aware of the other’s place in Dodi’s life. Fisher has said she was later left in Paris while Dodi carried on with Diana.
Whatever you think of Dodi, this part explains why Kelly felt so deeply misled. She was not dropped after a slow breakup. She was kept nearby while his new relationship was already starting.
Why Did Kelly Fisher Sue Dodi Fayed?
Kelly Fisher sued Dodi Fayed for breach of contract. She said he had led her toward marriage, persuaded her to put her modelling career second and then abandoned her. The suit, filed in Santa Monica Superior Court in mid-August 1997, asked for about $440,000.
She announced the case at a press conference in Beverly Hills with her lawyer, Gloria Allred. She showed the engagement ring to reporters and described the breakup as heartbreaking. The timing could not have been more dramatic, as photos of Dodi kissing Diana had only just been published.
Part of her claim was about money she said he had promised her. She said he had agreed to support her while she stepped back from modelling, including a $500,000 payment. She also described a $200,000 check from him that bounced, which she presented as proof that he had not kept his word.
The Fayed family denied that there had ever been a real engagement. Then, on 31 August 1997, Dodi and Diana died in the Paris car crash. Fisher dropped the case soon after. She said she did it out of respect for the family’s loss, and she has said she never received money from his estate.
Looking back on it decades later, around 2017, she still described the experience as painful. She has stayed firm that Dodi proposed to her and that the relationship was real, even though the Fayed side never accepted it.
Kelly Fisher’s Role in the Diana Inquest
Kelly Fisher came back into the news in 2008 when she gave evidence at the Diana inquest at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. The inquest looked at Diana’s death and the events leading up to it, including Dodi’s private life.
Her evidence mattered because it challenged the idea that Dodi and Diana were about to marry. If Dodi had been engaged to Kelly only weeks earlier, that cast doubt on claims of a planned engagement with Diana.
The court heard a recorded phone call in which Fisher complains to Dodi about how he was treating her. Transcripts were released and widely reported. In the call, she questioned why he had flown her to St. Tropez while he pursued Diana.
For anyone researching this period, the inquest transcripts are the most reliable record of her account. They are given under oath, unlike tabloid interviews.
Where Is Kelly Fisher Now?
Kelly Fisher now lives privately and has stayed out of the public eye for many years. She married Mikhail Movshina, a Russian pilot, and now uses the name Kelly Movshina.
The couple have a daughter, Alexandra Grace. Reports place the family in Aiken, South Carolina, a quiet town that fits the low profile she has chosen.
Her husband has been linked to property development and to safari work in the Central African Republic. Kelly herself has not gone back to modelling or into public life.
She rarely gives interviews. Apart from the inquest and occasional comments around anniversaries of Diana’s death, she has kept her family life to herself.
Who Plays Kelly Fisher in The Crown?
In The Crown, Kelly Fisher is played by Erin Richards, a 39-year-old Welsh actress. She appears in episode one of The Crown season 6 part 1, which Netflix released in November 2023.
Richards is best known for playing Barbara Kean in Gotham. Her earlier roles also include the thriller Breaking In. Taking on a real person with a small amount of public footage gave her more room to shape the character.
Dodi is played by Khalid Abdalla, who first appeared in the role in season five. In the sixth season, viewers see Dodi caught between Kelly and Diana during the summer of 1997.
The portrayal received mixed reviews. Some viewers liked that the show gave screen time to a lesser-known figure. Others said the series took liberties with the facts, as it often does.
How Accurate Is The Crown’s Portrayal of Kelly Fisher?
The broad story in The Crown is accurate. Kelly Fisher was engaged to Dodi Fayed, she was in St. Tropez during the summer of 1997, and the relationship ended as he grew closer to Diana.
Where the show adds drama is in the private scenes. Conversations between Kelly and Dodi are written for the screen, because no one outside the relationship heard them. Phone calls and arguments are based on her own account and on reporting, then shaped into scenes.
A quick way to read it:
- Accurate: the engagement, the ring, the St. Tropez trip, the breakup by phone and the lawsuit
- Dramatised: private dialogue, emotional reactions and the exact timing of some scenes
- Disputed: whether the Fayed family ever accepted the engagement as real
If you watch the episode, treat it as a starting point. Fisher’s evidence at the inquest gives a clearer picture than any dramatised version.
FAQs
Who Is Kelly Fisher?
Kelly Fisher is a former American model born in Louisville, Kentucky. She worked with major fashion brands and appeared in top magazines. She is best known for being linked to Dodi Fayed just before his relationship with Princess Diana.
Did Kelly Fisher and Dodi Fayed Get Engaged?
According to Kelly Fisher’s own account, yes. She said Dodi proposed and gave her an engagement ring. The Fayed family denied the engagement, so her version remains the main source for it.
How Much Did Kelly Fisher Sue Dodi Fayed For?
She filed a breach of contract claim for about $440,000 in August 1997. She dropped the lawsuit after Dodi and Diana died in Paris later that month.
Who Plays Kelly Fisher in The Crown?
Erin Richards plays Kelly Fisher in The Crown season 6 part 1. The Welsh actress is also known for her role as Barbara Kean in Gotham.
What Is Kelly Fisher Doing Now?
Kelly Fisher is married to Mikhail Movshina and has a daughter. She lives privately in South Carolina and stays out of the media.
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