Exclusive | Family of NYC fashion designer who died in Montauk yacht mystery claims owner caused her death, plans $50M lawsuit
The family of a Big Apple fashion designer mysteriously found dead in a swanky Montauk yacht club plans to file a bombshell lawsuit accusing a well-heeled investor of causing her demise, The Post exclusively learned.The $50 million wrongful death suit by Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra’s family will be filed in Manhattan civil court, a filing Tuesday revealed — just one day before the anniversary of when the designer died on a boat docked in the club.The family accuses the boat’s owner Christopher Durnan — an insurance mogul who invested in Nolan-O’Slatarra swimwear fashion company East x East — of causing her death through assault, negligence and gross negligence.The court filing effectively announcing the lawsuit doesn’t detail specific accusations against Durnan, but contends in legalese that he “intentionally and wrongfully assaulted” Nolan-O’Slatarra.Durnan is also accused of gross negligence and reckless and wanton conduct.The alleged assault and negligence caused Nolan-O’Slatarra’s death either individually or in combination, the filing contends.Police originally said they believed that Nolan-O’Slatarra died of an accidental drug overdose, but sources close to the family confirmed an independent autopsy found she only had “trace amounts of cocaine” in her system.Instead, the independent autopsy found some form of assault led to Nolan-O’Slatarra’s death, sources said.The accusations against Durnan add a new wrinkle to the still-murky circumstances behind Nolan-O’Slatarra’s death on Aug.5, 2025.A native of Ireland, Nolan-O’Slatarra, 33, moved to New York City a decade ago and quickly adopted a glamorous, jet-setting lifestyle.
She staked out a career as a fashion designer, hoping to find a foothold in the the affluent Hamptons.Durnan entered Nolan-O’Slatarra’s orbit and invested in her swimwear brand, owning a 13% stake.The insurance company owner — who was once sued for allegedly biting a retired FDNY firefighter on the...