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A five-minute primer on  an issue making headlines

After dropping off the radar for a few years, Terri Holladay is back in the society pages.

Ah, Terri Holladay, that staple of gossip columnists and paparazzi of the '90s, is back, and it's like she never left. Still looking gorgeous, the 37-year-old model has moved from dishy to dishes and is now a spokesmodel for a Dutch kitchen appliance company and making a name for herself as a celebrity chef.

For those who don't know, who is she exactly?

A Vietnamese-American model who moved to Hong Kong in the early '90s, Holladay became a regular on the socialite scene when she started dating property tycoon and notorious playboy Cecil Chao Sze-tsung,  now 68. That's when her star status really began.

After dating for a while, they reportedly had a bit of a shotgun wedding  when she became pregnant with their son. Three years and a nasty breakup later, it turned out that their Singapore wedding wasn't valid as it didn't include any formal ceremony.

She sued Chao's lawyers for failing to properly draft  an agreement should the couple split.  She got assistance from Legal Aid, despite the fact that she was living in a $59,000 a month flat and  coming to court in a Mercedes-Benz. An out-of-court settlement was  reached after a five-year legal battle.

Sounds like she's spent as much time in courtrooms as she has  at fashion shows.

Actually, breaking up with Cecil didn't mark the end of her legal woes. She  made the headlines again in 2000 when a former friend, Government Flying Service pilot Michael Ellis,  sued her for $940,000. It was part of $1.9 million he lent her, and the court ordered her to repay him.

So, where's she been during her hiatus from Hong Kong?

She's been living in the US and in Vietnam. She's kept a relatively low profile (well, low for Terri Holladay), although she did cause a bit of a stir again when she was linked briefly with magician David Copperfield. The media was abuzz again when she was engaged to Italian Paolo Durazzo  and was planning a summer wedding. But she is now believed to be single again.

And what's the thing that makes everyone say 'She did what?'

Ah, yes, that would be the choice of name for her son - Roman.

You mean ...

Yes, his name is Roman Holladay.

Bet I can guess which Audrey Hepburn movie they rent a lot. Anyway, what's she up to now?

Her deal with Princess, which makes toasters and other fashionable kitchen products,  seems to be a marriage made in heaven, considering her ambition to be Asia's own Martha Stewart (without the prison sentence). With Princess, she's published her first Asian Cooking Calendar and made a cooking programme for ATV.

Now that she's back in the Hong Kong limelight, she's probably rubbing shoulders with her ex.

That's true, but she says they're back on good terms, so running into Cecil at a society function probably won't end in a fight  or cold glares.



Hong Kong hottie back in limelight