Gemma O'Neill is hosting a three-day women's retreat called 'Her Best Life' for 300 people at the InterContinental Hotel in Coogee starting this Friday, with Meghan Markle as a guest speaker. Women have paid more than $3,000 to attend the retreat, with the price including a group selfie with Meghan Markle, according to multiple reports. The PR woman organizing the retreat, Gemma O'Neill, has run into major financial difficulties after her talent agency Gemmie Agency went bust with a $500,000+ tax bill, sources said. Gemma O'Neill cannot pay her debts due to lack of savings and low income, and informed administrators she couldn't make repayment contributions on February 20, those reports indicate.
Joshua Fox, a British former paparazzo and OnlyFans documentary filmmaker, is involved in Meghan Markle's upcoming private women's retreat in Sydney, helping organizer Gemma O'Neill with social media content, according to major media outlets. Joshua Fox was seen at the InterContinental Hotel in Coogee last Friday when Gemma O'Neill was meeting with representatives of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, those sources reported.
Venue problems at the InterContinental Hotel include unfinished facilities and pollution issues that could affect the retreat's luxury appeal. The hotel's pool and spa are not finished, and the beach below has been battling effluent 'poop balls' over the past two years, multiple reports indicate. The retreat is hosted by Her Best Life podcast at the InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach, a five-star hotel on the waterfront in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, according to research.
This is going to be an unforgettable weekend designed for women who want to reconnect, recharge, laugh, learn and have some serious fun.
Security concerns have been raised by online troll threats to disrupt the event, with an individual claiming they were attempting to gain access to secretly record or disrupt it, sources said.
A spokesman for the Duchess of Sussex confirmed she will still be appearing at the retreat despite setbacks. Meghan Markle will not be staying at the InterContinental Hotel with guests but at one of Sydney's finest hotels, according to sources.
The deal for Meghan Markle to headline the retreat was brokered by Markus Anderson, a close friend of Meghan and Gemma O'Neill, multiple reports indicate. The event was made possible thanks to a mutual friend Gemma O’Neill shares with the Duchess, who connected the pair, Gemma O'Neill said.
On the podcast’s website, the retreat is described as an “intimate luxury weekend by the ocean designed to bring women together for powerful conversations, relaxation, laughter and unforgettable experiences”.
Controversy over interview arrangements has emerged, with Meghan Markle allegedly asking Gemma O'Neill to interview her at the event rather than radio star Jackie O Henderson, to avoid overshadowing her mission, according to an insider. Jackie O Henderson's radio show with Kyle Sandilands was taken off air after a public row, and their contracts were terminated, sources said. Jackie O Henderson will not be joining to interview the Duchess during the event, Gemma O'Neill stated.
Ticket sales confusion persists, with conflicting reports on the sell-out status and changes to VIP arrangements. The event's ticket allocation has been 'exhausted' or sold out, according to multiple reports, but there are claims that not all tickets have been sold yet, those same sources indicate. VIP guests will now get their own rooms at the retreat, having previously been told they would have to share, due to lack of interest, reports say. VIP tickets, which include front-row seats and a group table photo with the Duchess, cost A$3,199, research indicates.
Influencers are avoiding promotion of the event due to fears it will impact their brands, leading to an 'influencer blackout', according to royal commentator Shauna Kay.
I have admired [Meghan] and what she has endured...and how she has demonstrated how a woman can be pushed down and she can still rise.
The event is being billed as a quasi-royal visit, with Harry speaking at a workplace mental health summit in Melbourne and Meghan at the retreat in Sydney, sources said. During their visit to Australia, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will pursue their own charitable and commercial interests, acting as private citizens rather than representatives of the UK, research indicates. The couple are expected to visit both Sydney and Melbourne and 'take part in a number of private, business, and philanthropic engagements', their spokesman said, according to research.
Australians are pushing back against taxpayer money being spent on Harry and Meghan's visit, with a petition demanding they fund their own trip attracting tens of thousands of signatures, reports indicate. However, the trip is privately funded, not taxpayer-funded, those same sources confirm.
The event is a very small event for 300 women and will be a fireside chat with Meghan and Gemma O’Neill, Gemma O'Neill said. The engagement was confirmed by Gemma O’Neill, Her Best Life podcast host, on Wednesday, according to research. The confirmation comes after speculation about her rumoured appearance, research adds. Activities across the weekend include a women’s psychology session, yoga, sound healing, time by the pool and a 'dance-floor-filled disco night', research shows. Gemma O’Neill previously co-hosted the show alongside Australian celebrity Jackie “O” Henderson, until Ms Henderson announced she would 'step away' from the podcast in February this year, research shows.
Gemma O’Neill said the Duchess is doing this as a favour because of their mutual friend and because she loves what the community is about.
Harry and Meghan's team visited Australia last week to put finishing touches on their tour, sources said. It is understood the Duke and Duchess’s children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will accompany them on the trip, research indicates.
Financial unknowns and security measures for the retreat are key implications, as the organizer's debts and the troll threat create uncertainties.
Reactions and ongoing speculation focus on the event's success and impact, with mixed signals from ticket sales and influencer avoidance. On the podcast’s website, the retreat is described as an 'intimate luxury weekend by the ocean designed to bring women together for powerful conversations, relaxation, laughter and unforgettable experiences', the Her Best Life podcast stated. Gemma O'Neill expressed admiration, saying she has admired Meghan and what she has endured and how she has demonstrated how a woman can be pushed down and still rise. She added that the Duchess is doing this as a favour because of their mutual friend and because she loves what the community is about. The highlight of the weekend will be an in-person conversation with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, event organizers stated, and the podcast described it as 'an unforgettable weekend designed for women who want to reconnect, recharge, laugh, learn and have some serious fun.'