Rachel Uchitel
Encyclopedia
Rachel Uchitel is an American nightclub
manager, hostess, sports groupie and TV correspondent. She first encountered publicity when,
following the September 11, 2001, attacks, a photo of her holding a picture of her fiancé, who worked in the World Trade Center
, was published by the New York Post
and circulated worldwide. She made headlines again in 2010 as one of golfer Tiger Woods
' mistresses as well as for an affair with actor David Boreanaz
. In 2010 she appeared in the fourth season of the American reality television series Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew
, which depicted her struggle with addiction.
club.
When Uchitel was 15, her father died, reportedly from an overdose of cocaine, which according to her, required her to mature quickly, and which she claims was one of the incidents in her life that led to her own addictions later.
She graduated from Millbrook School
in 1992 and from the University of New Hampshire
in 1996 with a degree in psychology. She spent five years after college as a news producer in New York for Bloomberg Television
.
for Extra
. In 2005–6, she was the VIP hostess at Tao in Las Vegas
.
In 2005, Uchitel moved to Las Vegas and became a host at the Tao Nightclub which is operated by Jason Strauss
. As of 2009, she still lived in Las Vegas but was "too old for being a VIP host anymore". In a November 2010 interview with UK's Daily Mail, Rachel announced she had applied for a license as a private detective.
magazine, though no information has yet been released on when the photo shoot will be published.
Uchitel was a cast member in the fourth season of the VH1
reality television program Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew
, which documents notable persons being treated for substance abuse
. Dr. Drew Pinsky, who normally is not involved with casting for the series, reportedly visited Uchitel personally in order to convince her to be cast on the show, for which she was paid $500,000 to appear, which is double the amount initially offered to her by producers. The season premiered in December 2010 and ran until January 2011. During the course of filming, Uchitel spoke of how her father's death when she was 15, the loss of her fiance in the September 11 attacks, and her tendency to impulsively enter into relationships contributed to her addiction. Following her treatment by Pinsky, Uchitel entered a sober living facility in Malibu, California, though she left the facility with Pinsky's permission to visit the World Trade Center
site, where she met with other 9/11 families.
. A few days later, she appeared on the front page of the New York Post
holding a picture of O'Grady, which was republished worldwide. Uchitel and her fiance's family subsequently debated the disposition of his estate. In 2004, Uchitel married Wall Street trader and childhood friend Steven Ehrenkranz. Their marriage lasted four months. In October 2011, Rachel secretly married her boyfriend businessman Matt Hahn.
published a story that alleged that Uchitel had had an affair
with Tiger Woods
at the Australian Masters
, which she denied. She later scheduled a news conference to discuss Woods' alleged affairs, but she and her attorney Gloria Allred
cancelled due to "unforeseen circumstances". For years, all reports about Woods' alleged affairs had been denied until Uchitel came forward with her story.
In 2010, Uchitel was photographed by the National Enquirer entering Tiger Woods
' room while in Australia
. It has been estimated that Uchitel was the highest paid VIP hostess, and according to Lisa Bloom
, was given a cash settlement to cancel a news conference
. Uchitel was "in the spotlight" before her alleged affair with Woods as she was the "face of tragedy" when published photos of her clutching her dead fiance's picture surfaced after September 11, 2001. She has evolved from a "9/11 symbol" to a media celebrity
due to another alleged affair with David Boreanaz
. Uchitel received an apology from The View after Joy Behar
called her a hooker
.
In May 2010, The Huffington Post
released text messages alleging she had also had an affair with David Boreanaz. Uchitel initially stated that she was not involved with Boreanaz, but later admitted to the affair.
On her May 14, 2010 appearance on TMZ Live
, Uchitel discussed Boreanaz and "her new life as the most famous mistress on the planet." She denied extorting him over their alleged affair although her attorney, Gloria Allred, stated Boreanaz had deceived Uchitel. Allred represented Veronica Siwik-Daniels, who is another alleged mistress of Woods, aka
"Joslyn James". A scheduled news conference featuring Uchitel and Allred was canceled due to the arrival of "Mr. Green" or a cash settlement according to CBS News
legal analyst (and Allred's daughter) Lisa Bloom
.
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
manager, hostess, sports groupie and TV correspondent. She first encountered publicity when,
following the September 11, 2001, attacks, a photo of her holding a picture of her fiancé, who worked in the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
, was published by the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
and circulated worldwide. She made headlines again in 2010 as one of golfer Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
' mistresses as well as for an affair with actor David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz is an American actor, television producer, and director, known for his role as Angel on the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and as Special Agent Seeley Booth on the television crime drama Bones....
. In 2010 she appeared in the fourth season of the American reality television series Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew
Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew
Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew is a reality television show airing on the cable network VH1 that chronicles a group of celebrities as they are treated for alcohol and drug addiction by Dr. Drew Pinsky and his staff at the Pasadena Recovery Center in Pasadena, California. The first season premiered...
, which depicted her struggle with addiction.
Early life
Uchitel is the granddaughter of Maurice Uchitel, a Ukrainian American restaurant and nightclub owner in the 1950s and 1960s, including the El MoroccoEl Morocco
El Morocco was a 20th century Manhattan nightclub frequented by the rich and famous in the 1930s and 1950s. It was famous for its blue zebra-stripe motif and its official photographer, Jerome Zerbe.-History:In 1931, John Perona , an Italian...
club.
When Uchitel was 15, her father died, reportedly from an overdose of cocaine, which according to her, required her to mature quickly, and which she claims was one of the incidents in her life that led to her own addictions later.
She graduated from Millbrook School
Millbrook School
Millbrook School is a private, coeducational preparatory school located in Duchess County, New York, USA. It is governed by a self-perpetuating Board of Trustees, and is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools and the Board of Regents of the State University of New York...
in 1992 and from the University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
in 1996 with a degree in psychology. She spent five years after college as a news producer in New York for Bloomberg Television
Bloomberg Television
Bloomberg Television is a 24-hour global network broadcasting business and financial news. It is distributed globally, reaching over 200 million homes worldwide. It is owned and operated by Bloomberg L.P...
.
Career
Uchitel managed the VIP section of "some of the most successful clubs in New York", and was a special correspondent on nightlifeNightlife
Nightlife is the collective term for any entertainment that is available and more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning...
for Extra
Extra (TV series)
Extra is an American entertainment television news program covering events and celebrities which debuted on September 5, 1994 in syndication. It is produced at Victory Studios in Glendale, California by Telepictures Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television Distribution...
. In 2005–6, she was the VIP hostess at Tao in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
.
In 2005, Uchitel moved to Las Vegas and became a host at the Tao Nightclub which is operated by Jason Strauss
Jason Strauss
Jason Strauss was born in New York and is the co-owner and co-founder of marketing firm Strategic Group, a marketing, promotions, and special events company. He is also co-owner and co-founder of The Strategic Hospitality Group. His partner is long-time friend, Noah...
. As of 2009, she still lived in Las Vegas but was "too old for being a VIP host anymore". In a November 2010 interview with UK's Daily Mail, Rachel announced she had applied for a license as a private detective.
Media appearances
In May 2010 it was reported that Uchitel would pose for PlayboyPlayboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazine, though no information has yet been released on when the photo shoot will be published.
Uchitel was a cast member in the fourth season of the VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
reality television program Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew
Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew
Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew is a reality television show airing on the cable network VH1 that chronicles a group of celebrities as they are treated for alcohol and drug addiction by Dr. Drew Pinsky and his staff at the Pasadena Recovery Center in Pasadena, California. The first season premiered...
, which documents notable persons being treated for substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
. Dr. Drew Pinsky, who normally is not involved with casting for the series, reportedly visited Uchitel personally in order to convince her to be cast on the show, for which she was paid $500,000 to appear, which is double the amount initially offered to her by producers. The season premiered in December 2010 and ran until January 2011. During the course of filming, Uchitel spoke of how her father's death when she was 15, the loss of her fiance in the September 11 attacks, and her tendency to impulsively enter into relationships contributed to her addiction. Following her treatment by Pinsky, Uchitel entered a sober living facility in Malibu, California, though she left the facility with Pinsky's permission to visit the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
site, where she met with other 9/11 families.
Early relationships
Uchitel had been engaged to James Andrew O'Grady, an investment banker, who was killed in the September 11 attacks of the World Trade CenterWorld Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
. A few days later, she appeared on the front page of the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
holding a picture of O'Grady, which was republished worldwide. Uchitel and her fiance's family subsequently debated the disposition of his estate. In 2004, Uchitel married Wall Street trader and childhood friend Steven Ehrenkranz. Their marriage lasted four months. In October 2011, Rachel secretly married her boyfriend businessman Matt Hahn.
Relationships with celebrities
In late 2009, The National EnquirerThe National Enquirer
The National Enquirer is an American supermarket tabloid now published by American Media Inc . Founded in 1926, the tabloid has gone through a variety of changes over the years....
published a story that alleged that Uchitel had had an affair
Infidelity
In many intimate relationships in many cultures there is usually an express or implied expectation of exclusivity, especially in sexual matters. Infidelity most commonly refers to a breach of the expectation of sexual exclusivity.Infidelity can occur in relation to physical intimacy and/or...
with Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
at the Australian Masters
Australian Masters
The Australian Masters, currently known as the JBWere Masters for sponsorship reasons, is an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. The tournament was founded in 1979, and was co-sanctioned by the European Tour for the first time in 2006, with a significant 20% increase in the prize...
, which she denied. She later scheduled a news conference to discuss Woods' alleged affairs, but she and her attorney Gloria Allred
Gloria Allred
Gloria Rachel Allred is an American lawyer noted for taking high-profile and often controversial cases, particulary those involving the protection of women's rights.-Early life:...
cancelled due to "unforeseen circumstances". For years, all reports about Woods' alleged affairs had been denied until Uchitel came forward with her story.
In 2010, Uchitel was photographed by the National Enquirer entering Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
' room while in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It has been estimated that Uchitel was the highest paid VIP hostess, and according to Lisa Bloom
Lisa Bloom
Lisa Bloom is a prominent American civil rights attorney, best known as anchor of Lisa Bloom: Open Court - a two-hour live legal news program - on truTv's IN SESSION, formerly Court TV, from 2001 to 2009. She is the only child of famed attorney Gloria Allred. Bloom received a bachelor's degree...
, was given a cash settlement to cancel a news conference
News conference
A news conference or press conference is a media event in which newsmakers invite journalists to hear them speak and, most often, ask questions. A joint press conference instead is held between two or more talking sides.-Practice:...
. Uchitel was "in the spotlight" before her alleged affair with Woods as she was the "face of tragedy" when published photos of her clutching her dead fiance's picture surfaced after September 11, 2001. She has evolved from a "9/11 symbol" to a media celebrity
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
due to another alleged affair with David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz is an American actor, television producer, and director, known for his role as Angel on the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and as Special Agent Seeley Booth on the television crime drama Bones....
. Uchitel received an apology from The View after Joy Behar
Joy Behar
Josephina Victoria "Joy" Behar is an American comedian, writer, actress, and a co-host of the talk show The View. Behar has a commentary program, entitled The Joy Behar Show, on CNN's sister network, HLN...
called her a hooker
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
.
In May 2010, The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
released text messages alleging she had also had an affair with David Boreanaz. Uchitel initially stated that she was not involved with Boreanaz, but later admitted to the affair.
On her May 14, 2010 appearance on TMZ Live
TMZ on TV
TMZ on TV, or simply TMZ and TMZTV, is an American syndicated entertainment and gossip news television show that premiered on September 10, 2007. The program is generally aired on Fox, The CW and MyNetworkTV affiliates, though a majority of the stations that carry the series are Fox affiliates...
, Uchitel discussed Boreanaz and "her new life as the most famous mistress on the planet." She denied extorting him over their alleged affair although her attorney, Gloria Allred, stated Boreanaz had deceived Uchitel. Allred represented Veronica Siwik-Daniels, who is another alleged mistress of Woods, aka
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"Joslyn James". A scheduled news conference featuring Uchitel and Allred was canceled due to the arrival of "Mr. Green" or a cash settlement according to CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
legal analyst (and Allred's daughter) Lisa Bloom
Lisa Bloom
Lisa Bloom is a prominent American civil rights attorney, best known as anchor of Lisa Bloom: Open Court - a two-hour live legal news program - on truTv's IN SESSION, formerly Court TV, from 2001 to 2009. She is the only child of famed attorney Gloria Allred. Bloom received a bachelor's degree...
.