Tziporah Malkah: ‘I didn’t drink and drive’
Tziporah, previously known as Kate Fischer, appeared at Melbourne Magistrates Court. IT’S BEEN A ‘PRETTY AWFUL TIME’ FOR THE REALITY TV STAR, BUT NOW SHE REVEALS ALL
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There’s no denying it’s been a year of highs and lows for Tziporah Malkah.
From the stresses of being attacked by online body bullies and being plunged back into the limelight after living as a recluse for years, to the joys of her triumphant appearance on I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! and finding love – Tziporah has lived it all.
But it seems 2017 had one last blow for the former model, after a brush with the law recently came close to landing her in jail.
Talking about the court case that saw her found guilty of three offences after an afternoon of ‘erratic’ driving earlier this year, Tziporah tells: ‘It’s been a pretty awful time.’
Over a cup of herbal tea at the South Australian home she shares with partner Guy Vasey, Tziporah, 44, tells us about her ‘monthus horribilis,’ having to front up to court two weeks in a row, facing a magistrate, then the barrage of cameras and microphones outside.
On December 15, the packed courtroom heard how, while driving her car on the way home from the shops in ritzy Toorak one January evening, Tziporah hit three roundabouts, reversed into a parked car, then refused a police breath test.
Fined $1500 and banned from driving for 27 months, the star is still reeling from the highly-publicised court case. So what happened? ‘I pleaded guilty to these three charges so I have to accept I’m to blame. But despite what anyone may think, I hadn’t been drinking,’ Tziporah shakes her head. ‘I love a glass or three of wine, but not when I’m behind the wheel.
‘On this particular evening, I was tired, stressed, and on meds for anxiety and depression.
‘Having just worked five night shifts in a row, nursing sick and dying elderly patients, I was completely drained. Plus, I was about to fly to Africa to make my TV comeback – after years of living anonymously – to appear on I’m A Celeb, and I was pretty nervous about that.
‘So yes, to be honest, I was “erratic” that day, to use the police term – though not from alcohol.’
Tziporah admits she made things worse for herself when, approached shortly afterwards by police officers, she refused to cooperate with them.
‘Officers fronted me, demanding I blow into their breathalyser,’ Tziporah recalls. ‘Instead, I told them where to go. That was silly of me – in hindsight – as I had nothing to hide. I hadn’t been drinking.
‘But as I was already pretty agitated, I got upset at how the police were towards me. I’m still upset at how they handled this. That’s something I’ll be following up with my lawyer.
‘Originally, the police charged me with seven offences – but thankfully my lawyer got four of them dropped, and after that I could breathe a little easier, knowing most likely I’d just be fined, not jailed.
‘This whole court case has been quietly weighing on me for months. I was able to make a couple of preliminary court appearances without anyone recognising me, but then all of a sudden the press found out about it, so come early December, they were there in droves,’ she exclaims.
‘I was surprised, because A Current Affair’s Ben Mccormack was sentenced for child porn the same day as the press found out about me, and I thought that case was just a little more newsworthy than “Tziporah hits a kerb!” Really, I haven’t had this much attention since I had my boobs done when I was engaged to James Packer.’
She rolls her eyes, recalling
those carefree times when, as Kate Fischer, the glamorous young model girlfriend of the high-profile mogul, she ‘thought nothing of blowing $3000 on, say, an aquamarine ankle bracelet to wear with my thongs. Ah, those were the days!’
She manages a grin. With Tziporah’s regular income now just $200 a fortnight, working as a carer for Guy – who has a stress-related disability – she says the court fine was a huge financial setback.
‘Things haven’t gone that swimmingly for me of late, no,’ Tziporah says, her soulful brown eyes clouding up. ‘And I don’t just mean about the court case.’
Recently, she received the devastating news that her stepfather David Barnett has a serious heart condition.
‘David raised me from the age of 10 and he’s Dad to me,’ she reveals. ‘He lives in Yass, 1100km away, and I haven’t seen enough of him lately, but my aim now is to spend as much time with him as possible over the summer.’
This means she’ll also be spending more time with her mother, politician Pru Goward, with whom she’s had a strained relationship in recent years.
‘It’s no secret that my mother and I haven’t seen eye to eye for years. We’ve had our motherdaughter differences, but especially with David so ill, it’s really important that we get past that,’ she explains. ‘Mum and I are both hurting and we need to be there for each other.
‘A few days before I was sentenced, I drove down and stayed with them on their property. It was so good to spend time with them.
‘And, of course, while I was there, I had to tell them I was in the middle of a court case – and that I’d probably lose my license,’ she explained. ‘Plus, there was a possibility I’d go to jail.
‘All this really upset Mum, of course – she later fainted in front of a bunch of reporters at a work event, and I’m sure it was related to worry about me.
‘So in all, the last few months haven’t been that easy,’ she sighs.
Tziporah says that while generally the medication she takes for anxiety and depression does its job, ‘occasionally if everything’s not going well,
like I’m especially tired or upset, there can be an unpleasant reaction, like giddiness and confusion’.
‘And January 3 was one of those days. Several elderly patients to whom I was close had just died. I was exhausted, emotionally wrung out, and anxious.
‘Plus back then, the prospect of going on I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! had me worried. Was I ready?’
As viewers of the jungle show will know, Tziporah later won over fans with her personality and quirky nature. ‘Looking back, perhaps I wasn’t ready to go on the show. I was still on my meds and still had a lot to sort out in my life. And I still do!
‘Look, any of my friends will tell you I’m not a perfect person. I have my ups and downs. A lot of “shite” has happened to me in recent years. But you won’t find a more loyal friend than me, and that’s what my mates like about me – it’s certainly not the bank account.’ She manages a giggle.
She and her ever-supportive partner Guy, who likes to keep out of the limelight, are now considering moving to Yass to be closer to David and Pru.
‘I’m still allowed to drive, just not in Victoria,’ she explains. ‘So instead of the drive being 11 hours from here in Port Elliot, I have to drive an extra nine hours to avoid Victoria! I think it would be much easier for us to move to Yass.’
Tziporah’s immediate aim for the new year is to work on her weight loss. ‘As I told New Idea a few months ago, I’m aiming to lose lots of weight and eventually you’ll see a fitter, svelte me!’ she assures.
‘I have lost a few kilos so far, but there’s a fair way to go, and my weight goes up and down, up and down, all the time. Lately, on my long drives, I’d keep the energy levels up drinking Coke and eating snakes, jelly babies, and chocolates. But now that I’m going to be on shanks’s pony a bit more – well, no excuses I guess,’ she rolls her eyes.
‘But let’s just get the festive season out of the way first – I do love a nice plum pudding, washed down with a glass of some nice homemade soda – of course!’
LOSING WEIGHT AND GETTING FIT ARE HER GOALS FOR THE NEW YEAR