Death of socialite Terri Holladay at age 55 attracts Hong Kong media spotlight
- Vietnamese-American former model was famous for her high-profile split from Hong Kong billionaire Cecil Chao, but had shunned limelight in recent years
- Holladay died on December 27, only reaching media attention after discovery of online memorial page set up in her honour
Socialite Terri Holladay, widely known for her high-profile romance with Hong Kong billionaire Cecil Chao Sze-Tsung, has died at the age of 55.
The Vietnamese-American former model had shunned the limelight in recent years, with her death in Hong Kong on December 27 only coming to the public’s attention on Friday after the media discovered an online memorial page for her.
The webpage did not disclose the cause of Holladay’s death. Her family and friends are believed to have created the page, which went online on February 5.
“She was a beautiful, extraordinary woman who led a remarkable life and was loved by many,” an obituary on the website said.
“The Holladay relatives have made arrangements to plant trees in Israel as a living tribute to Terri’s life. She would have loved that.”
Well-wishers were encouraged to donate to Christina Noble Children’s Foundation in Ho Chi Minh City, one of Holladay’s favourite charities.
According to the website, a private family celebration of her life had been planned, but no date was specified.
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Her son, Roman Chao, wrote that he was in “quite a bit of grief” in a post on the website dated February 13.
“[My mother] and my late stepfather were the warmth and unconditional love that I wish I appreciated more,” he wrote.
“They were the kindest people I’ve ever met and having them gone, it’s hard not to feel alone.”
“I love you, Mom. I wish you and Paolo an eternity of happiness together in heaven.”
Holladay, also known as Teresa Anne Holladay, was born in 1968 in Vietnam to an American father and a Vietnamese mother.
She started her career as a model, but was best known to the public for her brief relationship with billionaire playboy Chao in the early 1990s.
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The pair met on a boat trip in 1991 and held a lavish engagement party the next year, with the guest list including tycoons Li Ka-shing, Michael Kadoorie and the late David Tang, who founded the Shanghai Tang clothing store chain.
The couple travelled to Singapore for a low-profile ceremony, months before the birth of their son, Roman, in 1993.
But Holladay found she was never legally married to the billionaire when they broke up in 1995.
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The split prompted a years-long court battle as she sought more than HK$300 million (US$38.3 million) from Chao to cover her credit card bills and living expenses. She later described the claim as “a big joke”.
They eventually reached an out-of-court settlement in 2000, but the terms of the agreement were kept confidential.
Holladay went on to marry Italian businessman Paolo Durazzo in 2005, who later died of cancer in 2018.
Her obituary described her as “glamorous, gracious and generous”, with a passion for cooking, animals and designing handbags.
In her last Facebook post from December 23, she spoke glowingly about her love for golden retrievers.
