The socialite and daughter of F1 billionaire Bernie on watching her ex-boyfriend's sex tape, playing scrabble with Mel Gibson and having body issues
People see pictures of me shopping and think I’m thick and that’s all I do.I’m not dumb. I’ve got four A levels and speak three languages, English, Croatian and Italian. I’ve raised more than £2 million for Great Ormond Street Hospital through an annual Formula 1 party I chair and other fund-raising events. When I visit Great Ormond Street I am just a lady bringing toys. That keeps me grounded.
People assume I am spoilt because I’m rich but my parents brought me up to respect money.I wasn’t given every toy I wanted. I had to earn my pocket money by doing chores. I don’t want to rely on daddy’s money. He helps me with things like houses, but those are investments. I have my own bank account which I use for earnings from TV and modelling work. Spending your own money feels different. It’s a good feeling. Its hard to trust people when you’re rich, though. I’m wary of most people. I trust my mum, dad and my sister, but can count the number of true friends on the fingers of one hand
Watching my boyfriend’s sex tape was the worst experience of my life.My dad’s in his eighties and had to sit there with me and Mum and watch it. Even though my parents divorced years ago when Dad was sent that disgusting tape he called Mum and then they called me together and told me to go over to his office. It was utterly humiliating to sit there and watch that filth with my parents. I’d been with Omar for two-and-a-half years. At first I was in a state of shock. I couldn’t sleep, I felt sick. I went through all the stages: grief, anger, hurt, humiliation. Money doesn’t protect you from any of that.
My sister bought Aaron Spelling’s home in LA (for £52 million).It has 123 rooms but I stay in the bedroom next to hers. It doesn’t matter how big the house is, you want to be close to family. There’s a bowling alley in the house, which I liked so much I’ve had one put into my London home. I’m obsessive-compulsive and a real germaphobe. I carry my own pillow and blanket on to planes and wear flip-flops in hotel showers. I can’t get on a sunbed without swabbing it down first. The idea of laying on someone else’s sweat makes my skin crawl.
Mel Gibson is a fantastic Scrabble player.I met him through my brother-in-law and we went to Soho House in LA. There was a Scrabble board on the table and he challenged me to a game. I had to Google most of the words he put down. The man is a genius; eccentric, but so clever. He made a film in Aramaic, The Passion Of The Christ, so I should have guessed he would win by miles. I do still get star-struck. I saw Anthony Hopkins sitting in a restaurant the other day. I was dying to go over and ask for his autograph but couldn’t pluck up the courage. The Silence Of The Lambs is my favourite movie ever.
I’ve got body issues like any other woman.I’ve been working out like a demon recently and feel better than ever. My motto is to think of the glass as half full and embrace my curves. If you talk about things that bother you then people notice them.
I’d love to have kids one day but I don’t necessarily think I will have to be married.I admire Angelina Jolie because she adopted her first children before she got together with Brad. I know how lucky I am to have the money to afford help. I still believe in the dream of marriage and babies but I don’t feel like I need a man to achieve what I want in life. For the first time in my adult life I don’t have a boyfriend and it’s liberating.
George W Bush is the person I’d most like to have round for dinner.
People say he’s thick but I know better than most what it is like to be judged. I don’t think you get to be President of the United States by being stupid.
I didn’t go to my dad’s wedding.He got married again in August (to Brazilian Fabiana Flosi, 46 years his junior). There is no family rift. I was in Los Angeles and I knew it was going to happen, but I didn’t have the exact details. The most important thing is for Dad to be happy. If he’s happy, I’m happy.
Twitter is my favourite thing in the world.
I’ve got 88,000 followers. I follow Lady Gaga and all the Kardashians. I can communicate directly with people, my words can’t be twisted or manipulated. My most prized possession is my BlackBerry. I’ve got the latest one and wake up in the middle of the night to check it. I’ve never been able to master the iPhone – I’ve got fat fingers so I can’t type properly on it.
I felt sorry for Prince Harry when he got photographed naked, but these days you have to expect your privacy to be invaded.
I trust my close friends but if I had a party with a bunch of random people I’d definitely get security to check the phones at the door. These days everything is public. In some ways it’s good. If it hadn’t been for that sex tape I might not have learnt the truth about Omar until it was too late.
Tamara’s new calendar, in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital, is available from calendarclub.co.uk. # Source: The Daily Mail, By Caroline Graham
