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Peaches Geldof
Geldof in November 2012
Born	Peaches Honeyblossom Geldof (1989-03-13)13 March 1989 London, England
Died	7 April 2014(2014-04-07) (aged 25) Wrotham, Kent, England
Occupations	Columnist television personality model
Years active	2004–2014
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Spouses	Max Drummey ​ ​(m. 2008; div. 2011)​ Thomas Cohen ​(m. 2012)​
Children	2
Parents	Bob Geldof (father) Paula Yates (mother)
Relatives	Pixie Geldof (sister) Tiger Lily Hutchence Geldof (half-sister) Hughie Green (maternal grandfather)

Peaches Honeyblossom Geldof (13 March 1989 – 7 April 2014) was an English columnist, television personality, and model.

Born and raised in London, Geldof was educated at Queen's College after her parents' divorce in 1996, and later moved to New York City, where she worked as a writer for the UK edition of Elle Girl magazine. She also worked in television, producing and developing her own television programmes which were broadcast in the United Kingdom in 2006. In the later part of her life, Geldof worked primarily in modelling and television, and gave birth to sons in 2012 and 2013.

Geldof was found dead at her home on 7 April 2014; the inquest found that she died of a heroin overdose.

Early life

Peaches Geldof was born in London on 13 March 1989, the second daughter of Bob Geldof and Paula Yates and a granddaughter of Hughie Green. She had two sisters, Fifi Trixibelle Geldof (born 1983) and Little Pixie Geldof (born 1990), and also one half-sister, Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily Hutchence Geldof (born 1996).

She grew up in Chelsea, London, and Faversham, Kent, and was educated at Queen's College, London. After moving out of her father's house at the age of eighteen, she rented a flat in Islington, London. She completed her A-Levels and was accepted at Queen Mary & Westfield College, University of London, where she planned to study English literature and journalism, but deferred it to move to New York City with her then-husband, Max Drummey.

Career

Geldof wrote a magazine column for the UK edition of Elle Girl, starting with its April 2004 issue and continuing until the magazine folded in October 2005. From the ages of 14 to 17, she wrote a weekly socio-political column for The Daily Telegraph, and wrote numerous articles for The Guardian.

In 2005, she wrote and presented her own documentary television programme, Peaches Geldof: Teenage Spirit, which was followed up by Peaches Geldof: Teen America, which aired on Sky One on 1 March 2006. In 2006, Geldof was placed at number seven in the Tatler's list of Top Ten Fashion Icons for the year, the youngest person on the list. In 2007, readers of FHM voted her the 53rd sexiest woman in the world.

In September 2007, she made her catwalk début modelling for PPQ at London Fashion Week. She was also announced as the face of the Australian fashion line Dotti. Premiering on 19 October 2008 was Peaches: Disappear Here, an MTV One reality series in which she founded a new youth-oriented magazine.

In 2009, she was signed to a six-figure modelling deal to become the face of the Miss Ultimo collection. In 2010 she was dropped from Ultimo after nude pictures and allegations of drug use were posted on the Internet and published in the media. Geldof denied the claims and said, "I am disappointed that Ultimo has decided not to extend my contract based on a wildly exaggerated account of a night in Los Angeles five months ago." Michelle Mone, the head of Ultimo underwear, said that "as a brand that targets young women, we feel it is impossible for Peaches to continue".

In 2011, Geldof presented a six-part ITV2 series called OMG! with Peaches Geldof, a magazine-format chat and guest show with audience participation.

Personal life

Geldof was the second daughter of the Irish singer-songwriter and political activist Bob Geldof and the Welsh television presenter and writer Paula Yates.

In 2000, when she was 11 years old, her mother died of a heroin overdose at the age of 41. In a 2013 interview with Elle magazine, Geldof explained how difficult the process of coming to terms with her mother's death was:

I remember the day my mother died, and it's still hard to talk about it. I just blocked it out. I went to school the next day because my father's mentality was "keep calm and carry on". So we all went to school and tried to act as if nothing had happened. But it had happened. I didn't grieve. I didn't cry at her funeral. I couldn't express anything because I was just numb to it all. I didn't start grieving for my mother properly until I was maybe 16.

On 5 August 2008, Geldof married Max Drummey, an American musician from the band Chester French, at A Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. On 7 February 2009, the couple announced that they had amicably decided to end their marriage. In April 2011, Drummey filed for divorce in Los Angeles, citing irreconcilable differences.

For a while in 2010, she lived in the same house in Los Angeles as Christina Curry, the daughter of former MTV veejay Adam Curry and Dutch singer Patricia Paay. Plans for the two to make a reality television series for MTV were aborted for unknown reasons.

In June 2011, Geldof became engaged to Thomas Cohen, lead singer of the London band S.C.U.M. They were married on 8 September 2012, at the same church in Davington, Kent, where her parents married 26 years earlier, and also where her mother's funeral was held in 2000. Geldof had two sons with Cohen, born in 2012 and 2013.

Geldof professed to being a Scientologist during a 2009 interview with Fearne Cotton for the documentary series When Fearne Met Peaches Geldof, and in November that year she attended the 25th anniversary of the International Association of Scientologists at Saint Hill Manor in East Grinstead, West Sussex. She later explored aspects of Judaism, and in 2013 began to express interest in Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.), describing it as "a belief system to apply to day-to-day life to attain peacefulness". She had the initials OTO tattooed on her left forearm.

In 2013, Geldof released details that risked identifying victims of sex offender singer Ian Watkins, leading her to have to make a public apology. She also revealed that she identified as a Thelemite, an adherent of Aleister Crowley's religion, Thelema.

Death

On 7 April 2014, Geldof was found dead at her home in Wrotham, Kent. The police found and seized drug paraphernalia at the house. Bob Geldof said in a statement: "We are beyond pain. She was the wildest, funniest, cleverest, wittiest and the most bonkers of all of us. We loved her and will cherish her forever." Her widower Thomas Cohen said in a statement: "My beloved wife Peaches was adored by myself and her two sons Astala and Phaedra and I shall bring them up with their mother in their hearts every day."

Geldof's funeral took place on 21 April 2014 at St Mary Magdalene and St Lawrence Church in Davington, Kent, the same church where she was married, where her parents were married, and where her mother's funeral service was held. The private service was attended by her father, husband, other family and friends and various members of the UK entertainment and fashion industries.

Inquest

The inquest opened into Geldof's death at Gravesend Old Town Hall on 1 May 2014. On 23 July, the coroner found that the cause of her death was opioid intoxication, and recorded a verdict of drug-related death. There was no evidence it was deliberate. Geldof had been taking the maintenance drug methadone for two and a half years before her death. She had started taking heroin again in February 2014, and 6.9 grams (1⁄4 oz) of the drug was found in the house. On 3 July 2015, Kent Police announced that they had ended the investigation into her death, as they had "exhausted all lines of inquiry" trying to find out who had supplied Geldof with the Class A drug.

Notes

1. Geldof's body was discovered at her home at around 13:30 on Monday 7 April 2014, and initial media reports gave this as the date of her death. Evidence presented at the inquest included the possibility that she had died after 20:00 on Sunday 6 April 2014.

References

1. Pressler, Jessica (31 March 2009). "Peaches Geldof Harshes on Ed Westwick". New York. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
2. "Peaches Geldof's house raided by thieves twice since her death". The Daily Telegraph. 12 May 2014. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
3. "Corrections and clarifications: Peaches Geldof". The Guardian. 9 April 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
4. "England & Wales births 1837–2006". Findmypast.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
5. ^ "Peaches Geldof death: Full report of police evidence given at inquest". Sevenoaks Chronicle. 23 July 2014. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2014.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
6. ^ "Peaches Geldof – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. London. 6 April 2014. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
7. ^ Cooke, Rachel (11 January 2009). "Interview: Peaches Geldof". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
8. Cederwell, William (24 March 2004). "Lessons in fear and loathing". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
9. Crampton, Robert (25 February 2006). "She's so, like, 21st century". The Times. London, UK. Retrieved 9 August 2007.
10. "Camilla hits best-dressed list". u.tv. 8 March 2006. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 21 July 2007.
11. Last, Colleen. "Full List: FHM 100 Most Sexiest Women 2007". MSN. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2007.
12. Melocco, Jen (17 August 2007). "Peaches Geldof new face for Australian Dotti". news.com.au. Archived from the original on 3 September 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2007.
13. "Peaches:Disappear Here". Archived from the original on 21 April 2009. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
14. Noah, Sherna (29 March 2010). "Peaches Geldof dropped by lingerie company Ultimo". The Independent. UK. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
15. "Underwear Label, Ultimo, Dumps Peaches Geldof". Courtesy: Agencies – via Oneindia.in. 31 March 2010. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
16. "Peaches Geldof is to present a new ITV2 show that will try and help solve people's real-life problems". musicrooms.net. 1 December 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
17. ^ "Peaches Geldof dies aged 25". BBC News. 7 April 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
18. "Marriage over for Peaches Geldof". BBC News. 7 February 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
19. Reich, Ashley (22 April 2011). "Peaches Geldof's Husband Maxwell Drummey Files for Divorce". HuffPost. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
20. "Christina Curry verdrietig om dood Peaches Geldof" [Christina Curry saddened over death Peaches Geldof]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). Amsterdam. 22 September 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
21. Galluzzo, Mauro (11 December 2011). "Peaches Geldof Is Engaged to Rocker Boyfriend Thomas Cohen". OK!. Archived from the original on 21 March 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
22. "Peaches Geldof Reveals Wedding Pics: 'I Felt My Mother Watching Over Me'". HuffPost. 11 September 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
23. Duffin, Claire (21 April 2012). "Peaches Geldof gives birth to baby boy, Astala". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
24. "Exclusive: Peaches Geldof introduces baby Phaedra". Hello. 13 May 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
25. Hyde, Marina (29 October 2009). "Peaches Geldof on the origins of the universe". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
26. Kilkelly, Daniel (29 October 2009). "Peaches: 'Scientology makes me happy'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
27. Randhawa, Kiran (29 November 2013). "Peaches: 'Apologies and lesson learned' after Twitter gaffe". London Evening Standard. p. 7.
28. "Peaches Geldof has signed up to Aleister Crowley's sex cult OTO". 15 April 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
29. "Death of Peaches Geldof in Wrotham". Kent Police. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
30. "Death of Peaches Geldof in Wrotham A statement from DCI Paul Fotheringham regarding recent speculation in the media". Kent Police. 2 May 2014. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
31. "English Socialite and Model Peaches Geldof passes away at 25". news.biharprabha.com. 8 April 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
32. "Peaches Geldof's funeral will be held at same church in Davington, near Faversham, where mum Paula's was held". kentonline. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
33. Robert Booth, Peaches Geldof: celebrities join friends and family for private funeral, The Guardian, 21 April 2014
34. "Heroin 'role' in Peaches Geldof death". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014.
35. Barnett, Emma. "Heroin use: Don't lose sympathy for Peaches Geldof because of drugs". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014.
36. ^ "Peaches Geldof died of heroin overdose, inquest rules". BBC News. 23 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
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38. "Peaches Geldof: Police close case into drug dealer". bbc.co.uk. BBC. 3 July 2015. Archived from the original on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.

External links

• Peaches Geldof at IMDb
• The Guardian profile page

• 1989 births
• 2014 deaths
• 21st-century English writers
• 21st-century English women writers
• The Daily Telegraph people
• Deaths by heroin overdose in England
• English columnists
• English female models
• English people of Irish descent
• English Scientologists
• English socialites
• English people of Scottish descent
• English people of Welsh descent
• English people of Belgian descent
• English women television presenters
• English television talk show hosts
• English television writers
• English Thelemites
• English women journalists
• Women television personalities
• Journalists from London
• Models from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
• People educated at Queen's College, London
• People from Chelsea, London
• People from Faversham
• Television personalities from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
• The Guardian journalists
• British women columnists
• Writers from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
• British women television writers
• People from Wrotham
• Models from Kent