Billionaire Heiress and Reality TV Star Husband Accused of Scamming Best Friend Out of $2 Million, Lawsuit Claims.

A Canadian billionaire heiress and her former reality TV star husband have been accused of allegedly scamming a close friend out of $2 million, according to a newly filed lawsuit.

Brendan Fitzpatrick, 38, who rose to fame on the reality series Rich Kids of Beverly Hills, and his wife, Chloe de Serigny, 31, the granddaughter of late Canadian financier Paul Desmarais, are accused of obtaining a $2 million loan from their wealthy friend and later refusing to repay it, according to court documents.

Max Jan Fowles-Pazdro, 46, claims that Fitzpatrick took advantage of their personal friendship when he allegedly sought the $2 million in January 2025 to fund a real estate venture in the United Kingdom. The allegations were made in a lawsuit filed in federal court, where Fowles-Pazdro is seeking repayment of the loan.

The lawsuit alleges that, after repeated and increasingly urgent requests from Brendan, who was then a close friend, Fowles-Pazdro used the life savings he and his wife had accumulated to provide a $2 million bridge loan. According to the filing, Brendan promised to begin repaying the money within six weeks.

Nearly two years later, the lawsuit claims, none of the loan had been repaid. Fowles-Pazdro alleges that the loss of the money has placed him and his wife in serious financial difficulty.

The lawsuit further portrays the Fitzpatricks as facing financial and personal troubles while allegedly continuing to maintain an extravagant lifestyle. As part of the filing, Fowles-Pazdro cited a recent social media post showing the couple aboard a yacht in the Mediterranean.

He characterized the couple as appearing carefree and enjoying a luxurious Mediterranean yachting trip despite the financial circumstances described in his lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, the couple repeatedly assured Fowles-Pazdro that they would repay the $2 million and at one point indicated that Chloe’s mother might provide financial assistance.

The filing quotes Brendan as allegedly telling Fowles-Pazdro in a text message that he would “fix everything” that week. In another alleged exchange, Brendan reportedly said the matter would be resolved the following day and suggested that, if necessary, he would seek the money from his mother-in-law.

Chloe also allegedly referenced a conversation between her mother and Brendan, telling Fowles-Pazdro that her mother had given him a deadline and that they would need to make arrangements to repay those they owed if the situation was not resolved.

Chloe’s mother, Sophie Desmarais, serves as trustee of her grandfather’s fortune. Her grandfather, Paul Desmarais, was a prominent Canadian businessman who served as chairman and chief executive of Power Corporation of Canada until 1996. The Desmarais family is estimated to be worth billions of dollars, and Paul Desmarais was among Canada’s wealthiest individuals at the time of his death in 2013.

Brendan Fitzpatrick and Chloe de Serigny married in 2023 in a lavish ceremony in California’s wine country, an event that received coverage in People. The couple has one child, according to their social media accounts.

Fowles-Pazdro’s lawsuit says he and the Fitzpatricks had mutual friends during their time in California. Their relationship reportedly grew closer in 2024 after they were both living in Miami.

The lawsuit describes the two couples as having developed a close friendship, with Brendan and Fowles-Pazdro reportedly bonding over the fact that both families were expecting children around the same time. According to the filing, Brendan frequently referred to Fowles-Pazdro as his best friend and expressed that he considered his family part of his own.

The friendship reportedly continued to deepen through 2024. Fowles-Pazdro and his wife spent part of the summer staying at the Fitzpatricks’ rental property in the South of France and later stayed at Chloe’s mother’s home in Montreal.

However, the lawsuit alleges that these increasingly close interactions were part of an effort to gain Fowles-Pazdro’s trust before obtaining money from him. In January 2025, Brendan allegedly told his friend that he needed $2 million to support a real estate venture in the United Kingdom, and the Fowles-Pazdros subsequently provided the funds.

The lawsuit seeks repayment of the $2 million loan, along with interest, legal fees and other damages.

The case is not the only legal trouble facing Brendan. He is also the subject of a separate lawsuit involving allegations that he operated an $80 million Ponzi scheme through his mining and resource-management company, Carbonatik.

Brendan’s lawyers have largely denied the allegations in that separate case, while acknowledging certain basic facts involving agreements and communications.

The defendants have also filed a counterclaim alleging that Fowles-Pazdro failed to fulfill certain obligations.

The legal dispute remains ongoing. On September 3, Brendan filed a motion seeking permission to change his legal counsel.

As of the latest court filings, the parties’ competing allegations remain unresolved, and no final ruling has been issued on the claims.