A Made in Chelsea TV star has been living a secret life of ‘homelessness and financial distress’ after he was left out of his stepfather’s will.
‘Posh PT’ Lonan O’Herlihy is suing the widow of his mother’s ex-boyfriend Hugh Taylor, after being denied any funds from his £38million fortune.
Mr Taylor had been in a ‘committed romantic relationship’ with Mr O’Herlihy’s mother Pamela between 1995 and 2003, during which he became somewhat of a father figure.
The 36-year-old grew up with the property dealer, who was also a renowned car and plane collector, in his Tudor manor home, and Mr Taylor also paid for his private school fees and university education.
But, the TV star, who featured on series eight of Made In Chelsea alongside Spencer Matthews and Binky Felstead, claims he was gradually ‘cut out’ of Mr Taylor’s life after he married Jennifer Taylor in 2010.
Multi-millionaire Taylor died in 2019 and under the terms of his will handed much of his estate, which included a World War II Hawker Hurricane aircraft, classic cars and high-end properties, over to his wife.
Mr O’Herlihy was subsequently left with nothing and is now suing for a £5m payout, claiming he has been left in a ‘precarious’ financial state after growing ‘accustomed’ to Mr Taylor’s lavish lifestyle.
During the latest hearing, the High Court was told that the ongoing legal battle has cost Mr O’Herlihy his girlfriend and home following an ‘extraordinarily aggressive approach taken by Jennifer’s legal advisors’ towards fighting the case.
Despite his ‘highly curated’ social media feeds appearing to show an ‘opulent and carefree’ lifestyle, Mr O’Herlihy has allegedly been made ‘homeless and is dependent upon the generosity of friends to keep a roof over his head’.
Lonan O’Herlihy, known as the ‘Posh PT’, pictured outside London’s High Court where he is suing his mother’s ex-boyfriend’s widow for a share of his £38million estate
Mr Hugh Taylor’s widow, Jennifer Taylor. She and the Made in Chelsea star are in embroiled in a row over the multi-millionaire’s will following his death in 2019
Lonan pictured with his then girlfriend Millie Lindsey in 2015. The pair have supposedly broken up as a direct result of the legal battle with his legal battle against Mrs Taylor
His barrister Hugh Jeffery told the judge, Deputy Master William Henderson: ‘Lonan is now in a precarious financial position.
‘He has been able to make a reasonable income as a personal trainer…but he has no savings, no capital assets and very significant debts.
‘Moreover, on account of the extraordinarily aggressive approach taken by Jennifer’s legal advisors in this matter, he has split with his long term girlfriend; since March he has been homeless and dependent upon the generosity of friends to keep a roof over his head.
‘He owed his now former partner Millie £28,994 for litigation and living expenses.
‘In response to this disclosure, Jennifer’s legal representatives took the extraordinary step of writing to Millie on 16 January 2025, threatening an application to seek a non-party costs order against Millie on the basis that Lonan “seeks provision so that you will no longer be required to support him financially”.
‘Lonan and Millie have since separated as a direct result of that letter. This left Lonan “homeless” and in even more acute financial distress.
‘Jennifer attempts to rely on Lonan’s social media presence as evidence that he maintains an opulent and carefree lifestyle, an approach that confuses highly curated online content with reality.
‘Lonan trusts that any court will look primarily to Lonan’s bank statements and tax returns, which amply document his relatively modest means.
‘Lonan is in real financial distress. On account of Jennifer’s aggressive litigation conduct, he has separated from his long term partner, who was at the time lending him money to cover accommodation costs.’
Mr Taylor (pictured) was a property dealer as well as a renowned car and plane collector, who left behind a £38million estate after his death in 2019
Pictured: Mr Taylor’s World War II Hawker Hurricane aircraft, which forms part of his £38million estate that has been handed over to his widow
The court previously heard the reality star grew up in Mr Taylor’s Tudor manor house and had his private school fees and university education paid by his mum’s then partner.
He had been in a ‘committed romantic relationship’ with Mr O’Herlihy’s author and painter mother Pamela between 1995 and 2003 and during that time she, Lonan and his brother Rogan lived as ‘a family unit,’ Mr O’Herlihy said.
Even after he and his mum split, Mr O’Herlihy remained close with Mr Taylor, he says, receiving ‘extravagant birthday gifts’ from him, including a £5,000 watch and a £40,000 Audi.
He says he had a ‘father son’ relationship with Mr Taylor and was promised by him that he would inherit his lucrative property business.
When he died, Mr Taylor left an estate worth £38,540,357, including the proceeds of sale of his Grade-I listed mansion, Eastington Hall, near Upton upon Severn, Gloucestershire, which he bought for £3.15m in 1997.
Under a will written in 2015, almost all of his money and properties, and his classic car and plane collection, went to his widow, leaving Lonan with nothing.
Mr O’Herlihy says his current financial state is ‘precarious’ and is now asking for a cut from the estate worth £5m under the 1975 Inheritance Act by way of maintenance to let him live the lifestyle he became accustomed to when under Mr Taylor’s wing.
Lonan pictured with Made in Chelsea co-star Binky Felstead during an episode of the hit reality show in 2014
Millie Lindsey and Lonan O’Herlihy attend the BMA Models 34th Anniversary Party in London in April 2016
Setting out the background to the spat, his barrister Mr Jeffery added: ‘In 2011, there was a lunch at (Mr Taylor’s Tudor mansion) Eastington Hall to which Lonan was invited…at the lunch there was an argument.
‘Jennifer “screamed” at Lonan that “it’s as all for my girls now” i.e. that Lonan could not expect to inherit any of Hugh’s assets upon his passing.
‘Hugh was by this point showing signs of cognitive decline. Lonan recalls that he would on occasion fall asleep at the wheel of his car and that he presented as disheveled and vulnerable.
‘Lonan’s strong and long standing relationship with Hugh deteriorated suddenly and unexpectedly, in the context of Jennifer’s trenchant efforts to isolate Hugh from his former family and Hugh’s cognitive decline, which left him vulnerable to his influence in that respect.
‘Hugh passed away on 2 June 2019. The cause of death was Alzheimers disease. Jennifer did not permit Lonan to attend the funeral.’
Earlier in the hearing, Richard Wilson KC, for the widow, described the claim as ‘opportunistic’ and said it should be refused, highlighting a specific list Mr O’Herlihy had sent to her.
It included a £3m property in Queen’s Gate Place, South Kensington, a 1969-70 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda worth £250,000, a Patek Philippe watch, a Melehior D’hondecoeter painting and £800,000 for the purchase of an investment property, he said.
He told the judge: ‘The things he wants: a house and investment property, a classic car, an old master painting, an expensive watch – it would send a shiver down the spine of any wealthy parent.
‘There was no provision for a long period before death. An adult child would largely be expected to stand on their own two feet.
‘It would send a shiver down the spine of anybody entering a relationship to think that it creates an entitlement to the kind of lavish lifestyle put forward in this case.’
Mr O’Herlihy says he needs provision from Mr Taylor’s estate to enable him to maintain an ‘appropriate’ standard of living.
Mr O’Herlihy joined the ‘Made in Chelsea’ cast for its eight series in 2014. He has since worked as a personal trainer for celebrity clients in Knightsbridge
Reality TV star Mr O’Herlihy joined the ‘Made in Chelsea’ cast for its eight series in 2014, starring alongside the likes of Spencer Matthews and Alexandra ‘Binky’ Felstead.
He worked as a personal trainer in Knightsbridge, boasting celebrity clients including Ed Westwick, who played bad boy Chuck Bass in the TV show ‘Gossip Girl’.
A graduate of both Malvern College and Oxford Brookes University, where he studied real estate, Mr O’Herlihy has also appeared as cover star in Men’s Fitness magazine.
Mr O’Herlihy is seeking permission to bring his claim for money from the estate out of time, having missed the normal six month deadline after Mr Taylor’s death in which to lodge his case.
The hearing continues.
