Brendan Fitzpatrick, a former “Rich Kids of Beverly Hills” star, has been hit with a new lawsuit accusing him and his billionaire heiress wife of defrauding a close friend of $2 million.
Max Jan Fowles-Pazdro claims Fitzpatrick, 37, barraged him with desperate pleas in January 2025 to fund a deposit for a purported real estate project in the United Kingdom. The pair had grown close after meeting in Los Angeles, later bonding in Miami in 2024 and traveling together to the south of France and Montreal that summer, according to court records.
Fowles-Pazdro and his wife Parisa allegedly handed over 1.3 million euros and additionally guaranteed a £10.5 million loan for the venture. Fitzpatrick pledged repayment would begin within six weeks, the suit states. Two years later, not a single dime has been returned.
The Fitzpatricks continued flaunting a lavish lifestyle throughout, according to the complaint. Court filings highlight a social media post showing Brendan and his wife Chloe, daughter of Canadian billionaire Sophie Desmarais, cuddling on a yacht cruising the Mediterranean. The pair presented themselves to others as living “in the lap of luxury” even as the debt went unpaid, the suit alleges.
Repeated promises to the Fowles-Pazdros allegedly invoked Chloe’s mother as a backstop. One communication read: “We will absolutely have this resolved tomorrow,” according to the filing. “[I]f not I will be borrowing from my mother in law …. We get funds by 2 or I will get them from her. I will say it’s life or death.”
Another note struck a different tone entirely. “We are good hang on,” the Fitzpatricks wrote. “We’ve waited this long. We can hang tight for a little more hours.”
The couple also allegedly leaned on emotional appeals, calling the Fowles-Pazdros “family” while assuring them the money would come soon. At one point, the Fitzpatricks reportedly offered to pay back $4 million, double the original loan. That money never materialized, according to the complaint.
The financial fallout for the Fowles-Pazdros has been severe. The lawsuit claims they have received multiple notices of default on properties, lost a critical credit line, and been forced to sell a property early to cover debts stemming from the unpaid loan and their guarantee. The plaintiff is seeking damages including the full loan amount plus interest and all attorneys’ fees.
This is not Fitzpatrick’s first brush with allegations of financial fraud. He is already facing separate litigation over an alleged Ponzi scheme tied to Carbonatik, a Sri Lanka-based mining venture prosecutors say was a front operation. The company advertised returns of 120% on investments while not actually existing, according to authorities, and allegedly duped victims including a former acquaintance and various entrepreneurs out of more than $80 million.
The new lawsuit adds a personal dimension to Fitzpatrick’s legal troubles, with the alleged victim drawn from his own social circle rather than arm’s-length investors. The Fowles-Pazdros’ lawyers frame the conduct as a betrayal of friendship, noting the couples had vacationed together and been welcomed into the Desmarais family home in Montreal before the loan request came.
Chloe Fitzpatrick’s mother Sophie is the daughter of Paul Desmarais, the former chairman of Power Corporation of Canada, one of the country’s largest conglomerates. The family’s wealth was repeatedly referenced in the alleged repayment promises, though the suit does not claim Sophie Desmarais had any knowledge of or involvement in the loan.
The California Post reached out to Brendan Fitzpatrick for comment.
Fitzpatrick first gained national attention on “Rich Kids of Beverly Hills,” the E! Network reality series that ran from 2014 to 2016 and followed the extravagant lives of young wealthy Angelenos. His marriage to Chloe, announced with a $200,000 engagement ring, was featured on the show before it was canceled after four seasons.