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Mohamed Al-Fayed often 'burst into tears' after crash killed son Dodi and Princess Diana, docu reveals

The Egyptian businessman believed Diana and Dodi were assassinated, according to 'Investigating Diana: Death in Paris' on Channel 4
PUBLISHED AUG 23, 2022
Mohamed Al-Fayed believed the accident that killed Princess Diana and his son Dodi was actually an assassination (John Phillips/Bruno Vincent/Getty Images)
Mohamed Al-Fayed believed the accident that killed Princess Diana and his son Dodi was actually an assassination (John Phillips/Bruno Vincent/Getty Images)

LONDON, UK: The car crash that killed Princess Diana still remains one of the most gruesome mysteries of the last century. Along with Diana and driver Henri Paul, the crash also killed Dodi Fayed, son of Mohamed Al-Fayed. Now, years later, Al-Fayed's former spokesman has revealed in a documentary that the father would burst into tears whenever someone mentioned Dodi and that he truly believed it was an assassination. 

The Channel 4 documentary, titled 'Investigating Diana: Death in Paris', revolves around the mysterious death of the beloved Princess Diana. In the second episode of the documentary, Al-Fayed's former spokesman Laurie Mayer explains how the billionaire was affected by the death of his son Dodi and the Princess of Wales. He says, "Everybody was treading on eggshells. He would quite unexpectedly burst into tears because somebody had made a passing reference to Dodi. He'd be in the middle of a serious meeting and he was just sobbing. It was very, very painful to watch." Mayer also claimed the relationship between Dodi and Diana had "brought with it all the acceptance [Mohamed Al-Fayed] himself had always craved." He added, "There was not a shadow of doubt in his mind that it was an assassination."

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Al-Fayed also launched his own investigation into the car crash that claimed his son's life, Mayer said. Around the first death anniversary of Dodi and Diana, people around him were nervous as to how he would react. While Al-Fayed wholeheartedly believed that it was an assassination, investigators around him disagreed. Head of the Brigade Criminelle at the time, Martine Monteil, revealed that Al-Fayed would "see evil everywhere." She said, "I only had respect for his pain. Not for his excesses."

Laurie Mayer
Mohamed Al-Fayed's former spokesperson Laurie Mayer explains how devasted Al-Fayed was the death of son Dodi and Princess Diana (Channel4/Investigating Diana)

Mohamed Al-Fayed's counter investigation

Monteil claimed that Al-Fayed was running a "counter-investigation," adding, "The whole world has struggled to accept that The Princess of Wales died in a mundane accident." Al-Fayed's group of investigators included former officers in the French Brigade Criminelle such as Michel Kerbois, who "wanted to remain objective" throughout his investigation. He clarified that he was not a conspiracy theorist saying, "I wasn't working against them. I was working for the truth." 

The memorial to Princess Diana and Dodi Fayad is seen in Harrods department store December 18, 2003 in London. Inquests into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Dodi Fayad are to be held on January 6, 2004 in London and Surrey, England.
The memorial to Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed is seen in Harrods department store December 18, 2003 in London (Bruno Vincent/Getty Images)
Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed ahead of the Barclays Premier League match between Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Craven Cottage on April 17, 2010 in London, England.
Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed ahead of the Barclays Premier League match between Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Craven Cottage on April 17, 2010 in London, England (Ian Walton/Getty Images)

The French authorities concluded the 1999 fatal incident was an accidental car crash two years later. Kerbois dismissed the report as "total rubbish" and so did Al-Fayed. During the time, Al-Fayed became close friends with the Egyptian journalist Hala Sarhan, who revealed that during their time together working the case, Al-Fayed had told her, "They didn't like my son. We have curly hair. We have dark eyes. We are Muslims."

'Investigating Diana: Death in Paris' premiered on Sunday, August 21, 2022. The four-part documentary series is available on Channel 4.

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