Kathy Ireland's Business Managers Play Hide-and-Seek in Court

When someone owes you money — especially millions of dollars — the last thing you want is a game of cat-and-mouse in the courthouse. But that’s exactly what model and businesswoman Kathy Ireland is dealing with as she pursues her lawsuit against former business managers she claims systematically fleeced her finances.

Ireland filed a motion on Thursday arguing that her former money managers have gone to extraordinary lengths to avoid being served with legal documents. Some have abandoned their homes and left no forwarding address. Others have apparently hired process-servers’worst nightmare status by repeatedly evading attempts to deliver court papers. To make matters worse, the defendants shifted their business addresses to a virtual mailbox — essentially becoming ghosts on paper. Even their publicly listed lawyer claims he doesn’t actually represent them. It’s the kind of coordinated disappearing act that would be impressive if it wasn’t so transparently evasive.

Frustrated by the runaround, Ireland has asked a judge for permission to serve the lawsuit through newspaper publication — specifically The Los Angeles Times and The Desert Sun, which covers the Coachella Valley region about two hours east of Los Angeles. When you can’t hand someone legal papers in person, publishing in major newspapers where they likely live and work becomes the legal equivalent of a public announcement: You’re being sued, and you can’t hide forever.

The stakes here are substantial. Ireland’s original lawsuit, filed in March, alleges that her former business managers misused her money, deceived her about her actual wealth, and even took loans out in her name without authorization. The financial damage has been devastating — she claims the mismanagement has cost her and her husband, Dr. Greg Olsen, their home equity, drained their retirement savings, and forced them to sell their home. Ireland is seeking damages believed to exceed $100 million.

What makes this case particularly telling is how the defendants’behavior mirrors the alleged wrongdoing itself. If they’re truly innocent, why the evasion tactics? The court filing essentially paints a picture of people with something to hide, and the judge may well agree that serving notice through newspapers is a reasonable next step when traditional methods have been stonewalled. Sometimes the best way to force accountability is to make it impossible to ignore.