Finn Heini fell in love with businessman Mohamed al-Fayed: This was the couple’s love story –

Former owner of Harrods department store and businessman Mohamed al-Fayed died in August 2023.

Now, more than a year after the man’s death, heavy accusations have come to light.

Five women accuse al-Fayed of rape in a BBC documentary and podcast series. The BBC has heard from more than 20 women who say al-Fayed raped or sexually harassed them.

According to the women, the acts took place while they were working in al-Fayed’s famous department store, which the entrepreneur bought with his brother in 1985.

Mohamed al-Fayed and Heini Wathén-Fayed in 2013. AOP

Finnish wife

The name of the businessman’s Finnish wife Heini Wathén-Fayed has come up in an article about the case. The public has not been told whether Wathén-Fayed was aware of the suspected events.

The Times published an article in which a former Harrods employee recounted his experience, which took place in 2010.

– I was invited to his penthouse, which was directly above our office. I brought him the daily reports and the newspaper. I gave her the stuff and she immediately asked if I could stay with her that night and have sex. I answered that I can’t and couldn’t do anything like that, the woman told the magazine.

According to the ex-employee, al-Fayed only started to press him harder. The pressure was verbal, but according to the woman, the businessman also put his hand under her shirt and started to take off his pants.

– That day was his wife Heini Wathén-Fayed’s birthday. It was Thursday, February 25, and she was in the same premises when this happened, the woman added.

Miss Finland

Over the years, the story of the businessman and Wathén-Fayed has become familiar to Finns as well, although the family has always wanted to preserve their privacy.

Wathén-Fayed, who ventured out into the world from Hanko, is originally a Finnish miss, who became a well-known model and social beauty in the 1970s.

Wathén-Fayed competed in beauty pageants even before she came of age. She rose to the public eye in her twenties after participating in Finland’s biggest pageant, i.e. Miss Finland. Wathén-Fayed made it all the way to the finals in the 1977 competition, but was ultimately unplaced in the competition. The victory was taken by competitor Armi Aavikko.

After Miss Finland, Wathén-Fayed continued working as a model. Wathén-Fayed created a career in Paris, among other places. Among his most famous employers was Pierre Balmain.

Wedding and children

Over the years, different versions of how Wathén met her future husband have been presented. One theory is that the two met through al-Fayed’s son, Dodi al-Fayed, who was in the modeling circles.

Through various events, Wathén moved in with al-Fayed in London at his luxurious apartment. The businessman’s lifestyle was so flamboyant that even pasta was flown weekly by private plane from Italy and the apartment was full of servants.

Wathén and al-Fayed got married in 1985. The couple already had children together at the time of the wedding. Wathén was expecting the couple’s third child at her wedding Camillaa.

Firstborn girl Jasmine was born in 1980 and son Karim in 1983. After getting married, one more son was born Omar.

Al-Fayed’s son Dodi was from his first union Samira Khashoggi with. The boy is best known as the boyfriend of Princess Diana, who died with Diana in an accident in 1997.

The family’s bases in Finland are a 400-square-meter apartment in Helsinki’s Katajanokka and adjacent houses in Espoo’s Westend. The construction contract at the turn of the 1990s attracted the attention of the Finnish media, as the construction costs of the house rose to millions of marks and many mistakes were made during the construction phase.

Iltalehti wrote in 1997 that the wallpapers of the house called Villa Westend are silk, the water taps are gold-plated and the bottom of the swimming pool is crystal mosaic.

Wested’s villa is in the name of the family’s children. The apartment in Katajanokka was bought in the name of the wife.

The family living in Great Britain has had a good time in Finland as well. Over the years, they have told the press, among other things, about their summer vacations and family relationships in Finland. Wathén’s daughter has called her mother’s family communal.