Curse of Bell Pottinger: Couple delay wedding for another six months

GLAMOROUS U.S. socialite Heather Kerzner could lose millions after bankrolling disgraced PR firm Bell Pottinger shortly before it went bust. But at least one of her investments has paid off.

I hear that American- born Heather has pocketed a £1 million profit after selling her New York penthouse less than two years after buying the four-bedroom apartment in the heart of Greenwich Village.

A friend says Kerzner decided to sell her New York base earlier this year because the 4,317 sq ft apartment was ‘ hardly used’. Following the £15 million sale, Kerzner will now be based in Chelsea, and is rebuilding her life following a ‘ horrendous’ time after fiance James Henderson quit his job as CEO of Bell Pottinger when the firm imploded due to a race hate scandal in South Africa. The well- connected couple, above, had sent out invitations to a wedding in Chelsea on November 25, with rock stars and royalty on the guest list.

But the event was postponed when Bell Pottinger went into administration in September, leaving Kerzner facing financial hardship, as she had invested several million pounds into the company four months before its collapse.

Kerzner has hired dispute resolution lawyer Dan Morrison to explore whether she can recover any of the ‘substantial’ sum she has lost.

Morrison continues to work closely with Kerzner as she considers her legal options, which could see her suing Bell Pottinger’s former directors, including the man she plans to marry. Morrison said: ‘ My client invested a substantial amount into Bell Pottinger at the end of April 2017, only a short time prior to the collapse of the company. We have been engaged to advise in relation to the legal claims that arise as a result.’

Kerzner, 48, and Henderson, 52, were introduced in 2015 by the Duchess of York, and became engaged over dinner at Scott’s restaurant in Mayfair on Valentine’s Day. The couple have spent time apart since the Bell Pottinger scandal erupted, and friends say they are understandably focused on ‘rebuilding’, rather than setting a new wedding date.

A source says: ‘They have decided to take off the pressure of a new wedding date for the next six months.’