‘Justice has been done’: Billionaire claims victory in Toorak townhouse fight

Socialite Venus Behbahani-Clark has lost her court bid for ownership of a Toorak townhouse owned by her sister’s billionaire partner Alex Waislitz, bringing to an end a messy, years-long legal battle.

At its core, the fight was between Behbahani-Clark and her sister Rebecca Behbahani, as well as Waislitz, Rebecca’s fiancé . But it also embroiled another of Melbourne’s wealthiest families – the Pratts.

Behbahani-Clark claimed her sister and Waislitz promised to give her a Toorak townhouse, owned by Waislitz’s private investment company Thorney Equities, and said they had not fulfilled their pledge.

Heloise Pratt, Waislitz’s ex-wife, and her family briefly intervened in the dispute last year, because she was until recently a director of Thorney Equities. She claimed Waislitz and his new partner had no right to give away the Toorak property.

Thorney Equities is now fully controlled by Waislitz, after he and Pratt finalised their divorce and carved up their assets in 2025.

On Thursday, Victorian Supreme Court judge Claire Harris ruled Behbahani-Clark failed to prove she was duped by the couple, who she had alleged did not fulfil their promise to transfer the title of the property.

In a joint statement, Waislitz and Rebecca Bebahani welcomed the news.

“We took the decision from day one that we would defend these claims for our property because the plaintiff had no legitimate claim,” they said.

“We respect the court’s decision and are grateful that the legal process has reached this outcome. We believe justice has been done.

“The conduct of the plaintiff, Rebecca’s sister Venus Behbahani-Clark ... has been nothing short of disgraceful for several years.”

In a statement after the decision, Behbahani-Clark flagged an appeal, even as she said the court had importantly rejected “longstanding baseless allegations” about her.

“The case turned on a technical interpretation of a contractual clause with which we respectfully disagree,” she said.

“This is not vindication for anyone, nor is it the end of the matter. The judgment is already under review by my senior counsel and legal team, and the legal process will continue.”

In a separate and ongoing court dispute, Behbahani-Clark was charged with the theft of a phone from Rebecca.