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Nigella drug use

(177 Posts)
Grannyknot Tue 26-Nov-13 16:31:16

hmm
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/10475835/Nigella-Lawson-allegedly-took-drugs-every-day-for-a-decade-court-told.html

I couldn't care a toss whether or not Nigella is or was a drug user, but there are allegations that she used with her teenage daughter Mimi. Which is just plain wrong in my book.

JessM Wed 27-Nov-13 14:27:08

Yes sadly even after divorce many people remain vindictive. The accused would be in contempt of court if they gave interviews before their trial was completed would't they?
Oh sod it merlot this is on the word of two (possible) criminals and a nasty ex husband. And so bloody what if they drugs are illegal. If using illegal drugs at some stage in their life was a reason to attack public figures in the press then the press would have room for nothing else on their front pages. And she is not a head teacher, or a surgeon or something is she? She's a celebrity cook FFS.
This kind of victimisation has a sexist flavour to it, to my mind. Beautiful, successful woman - any excuse to have a go at her and they are rubbing their hands with glee.

merlotgran Wed 27-Nov-13 15:41:08

JessM I don't think this has a sexist ring to it at all. Male celebs have had their careers affected by use of Class A drugs in the past. A celebrity cook has a high public profile - far more than a teacher or a surgeon. Would you be so up in arms if Jamie Oliver, for instance, was rumoured to be high as a kite most of the time?

I know these are just allegations by two unsavoury characters and a nasty ex but I don't blame the press for reporting them.

Oh, and please don't swear at me.

Riverwalk Wed 27-Nov-13 16:07:49

I don't think the press coverage is sexist - Saatchi is being presented as a very unsavoury character and both he and Lawson depicted as to be trying to manipulate the case prior to the trial evening taking place.

JessM Wed 27-Nov-13 17:49:21

Well Mr Oliver drags his family into his "brand" at regular intervals. So like Ryan Giggs when he tried the super injunction thing to stop news of his infidelity getting out, yes the public might be interested to hear if Mr nice- daddy Oliver was snorting coke. Nigellas kids are much older and she has always presented herself a rather sexy cookery book writer and presenter. Not as someone on a moral pedestal.

Eloethan Wed 27-Nov-13 18:22:10

We know nothing about either Nigella Lawson or her ex-husband, other than what the media tells us. Why don't we give them all a break?

annodomini Wed 27-Nov-13 18:33:49

What is appalling is the treatment by the tabloids of this story. The headlines (usually taking up most of a page) jumped out at me from the news stands and you'd think they were reporting fact rather than allegations. If the word 'allegedly' was used, it wasn't in the headlines.

Riverwalk Wed 27-Nov-13 18:56:17

Eloethan I beg to differ smile

We know rather a lot about both of them.

Lawson and her late-husband, John Diamond, wrote many column inches about their family life and, when he was dying, participated in a fly-on-the-wall documentary about his last days.

As for the egregious Saatchi, have you forgotten what he and his brother, 'Lord Saatchi', did in the late 1970s/early 80s?

Like it or not, this is a big news story.

Agus Wed 27-Nov-13 19:26:16

I have no interest whether Jamie Oliver or anyone come to that, snorts coke, smokes dope or the more popular, abuses alchol in their private lives but I feel strongly that sharing these experiences with ones children is, as a parent, setting a poor example.

petra Wed 27-Nov-13 21:40:18

He certainly has a penchant for vulnerable women. His latest squeeze is Trinny ( someone) of Trinny & Sussanah. She is a recovering alcoholic.

Elegran Wed 27-Nov-13 22:00:49

Is that Jamie Oliver or Saatchi ?

Ana Wed 27-Nov-13 22:04:23

Saatchi. Jamie's still happily married (as far as we know!).

Elegran Wed 27-Nov-13 22:09:06

Poor Trinny. I'm not keen on the TV series but she does not deserve Saatchi.

Grannyknot Wed 27-Nov-13 22:11:04

Trinny Woodall is not a vulnerable woman. She has been in recovery from addiction for many years.
blogs.spectator.co.uk/trinnywoodall/2013/11/trinny-woodall-on-cocaine-how-i-became-an-addict-and-how-i-beat-it/

JessM Thu 28-Nov-13 09:32:40

Who are we to say whether someone we do not know is vulnerable or not? You can't judge a person by their public or media image (look at the Rev Flowers... )

alternativegran Thu 28-Nov-13 09:42:40

Grannyknot Thanks for the link, very courageous talk, hope it will inspire others to seek help.

henetha Thu 28-Nov-13 10:19:32

I was shocked actually. Can it be true? Or are certain people being
vindictive towards Nigella?

gracesmum Thu 28-Nov-13 11:22:51

If enough mud is thrown some is bound to stick and it is sticking already.

Look at our own thread title - Nigella drug use, not Nigella alleged drug use"? Yesterday's 1 o clock news - "....heard how Nigella Lawson was a daily cocaine and prescription drug user" not "allegations that etc etc"
This has become a very dirty game and Nigella risks losing a very profitable US TV cooking show, a lot of support in the UK, I wouldn't mind betting the BBC will pull out of her next series and her career is in imminent danger of heading down the pan. There are already internet jokes about icing sugar, ham cooked in coke, weighing out flour and even on GN about "night time munchies".
Maybe this was the "deal" over the divorce, maybe the nose tweaking was a reference to cocaine use, maybe he is just getting his own back big time - game, set and match.
Whatever, the damage is done unless she can totally clear her name and the fact that even we (not just thegutter press) are talking about it 2 days on, says to me that even then it would be hard to recover.

Agus Thu 28-Nov-13 16:34:53

If these allegations are true though, chances are that her career may well recover as did Kate Moss' to name but one. Coccaine use appears to be so prevalent now as the recreational drug of choice that the attitude is, what a shame you got caught.

sunflowersuffolk Thu 28-Nov-13 16:49:52

I feel shocked and initially can't believe it - Saatchi appears to be a vey spiteful man who'd want to get his own back, so I wouldn't necessarily believe him or the two women accused of fraud. But maybe (very possibly) I'm just naive. Terrible for her if she's innocent of this.

TriciaF Thu 28-Nov-13 17:23:06

re USA - there are some states where smoking cannabis isn't illegal.

merlotgran Thu 28-Nov-13 17:41:42

I think Nigella's career will recover unless she really has been involving her daughter. I would guess that a large percentage of women (and men) who buy her books, cook her recipes, watch her TV programmes and purchase the products she endorses, are middle class parents of teenage children. Class A drugs are every parent's worst imaginable nightmare so how disappointed and let down will they feel if these allegations are true?

Celebrity cooks who involve their children in happy scenes sitting round the table with family and friends, eating huge portions of steaming pasta with schmaltzy Italian music playing in the background will trip up big time if this illusion is shattered.

Having said all that, I hope her reputation remains intact and her nasty ex slinks off with Trinny who must now be wondering what she's let herself in for.

Nonu Thu 28-Nov-13 17:54:06

Correct , Trisha !

absent Thu 28-Nov-13 18:04:23

I should have thought that it would be extremely difficult to prove that she did or didn't use drugs. Being in possession, if that were ever the case, would prove that she did but how can she prove that she didn't?

nightowl Thu 28-Nov-13 18:12:22

I don't think this will affect her career. Cocaine is seen as fashionable and fun by many middle class parents, who would nonetheless be horrified if they thought their children were using heroin. There is a lot of hypocrisy around drug use amongst otherwise 'respectable' people. Whether or not Nigella has been using cocaine I think she has been badly treated by this despicable man and I respect the way she has handled herself since the photos of him assaulting her first hit the headlines. I hope he slinks off back to the gutter where he belongs.

nightowl Thu 28-Nov-13 18:19:33

Not that I think many parents would be happy to think their children were using cocaine, rather that they themselves might do so.