Who Is Patricia Landeau? New Details About Billionaire Harry Macklowe's Wife — Including His Awkward Wedding Gift
You'll never believe what developer Harry Macklowe did to celebrate his second marriage.
Instagram The antics of the mega-rich in New York City are what a million reality shows are made of. But none of the Real Housewives or moguls from Love and Hip Hop have made a petty post-divorce gesture that tops what billionaire developer Harry Macklowe did this week.
Macklowe, who divorced his wife of nearly 60 years to marry the French woman he’d been keeping on the side, plastered a 42-foot portrait on the side of a building he owns in New York. The building was the site of a property dispute between Macklowe and his now-ex Linda during their long and nasty divorce.
Now Harry wants Linda — and the rest of New York City — to see how much he loves his new wife. Who is Patricia Landeau? Read on for all the details about Harry Macklowe's wife.
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1. The Macklowe Empire
Harry and Linda Macklowe were a prominent New York couple for 58 years. The pair owned multiple homes, in addition to what Macklowe’s real estate development company Macklowe Properties held. They were also reported to have a museum-quality art collection, including pieces from Andy Warhol’s “Nine Marilyns” series, a Mark Rothko, and an Alberto Giacometti statue, which is valued at $700 million.
The pair, however, were not exactly a model of martial love. The book The Liars Ball by Vicky Ward described Linda’s attitude toward their marriage as bitter.
"There wasn’t much Linda Macklowe hadn’t seen in her long marriage, a relationship often compared to an Edward Albee play. Both Macklowes have been heard to disparage each other and their marriage forcibly and publicly. She has said, ‘I could have had a different life … I should have divorced him.’”
2. Divorce
In the end, it wasn’t Linda who asked for the divorce. Harry finally told Linda he wanted out in 2016.
That spurred what would be a long and contentious divorce proceeding complicated by two factors. The couple didn’t have any sort of prenuptial agreement. And Harry had a girlfriend. He revealed that he was in love with Patricia Landeau and he had been letting her live in an apartment in one of his building for two years before he decided to ask for a divorce.
3. Court jester
The Macklowe’s divorce proceedings would be closely watched by gossip columnists and Harry made sure to keep their interest. He would address reporters during courtroom breaks, making snide jokes about marriage.
He was reported to say things like “I went to pay respects to my parents’ grave. When I walked down the cemetery path, a man was on his knees [at another grave], bending forward, crying, ‘Oh, why did you die?’ I said a solemn prayer at my parents’ grave, and when I returned, he was still on his knees, [wailing], “Oh why did you die?” I said, You must be very bereaved. Who died?’ He said, ‘I’ve never met him. He was my wife’s first husband.’”
Landeau, who was present for the proceedings, was seen to chuckle and say “Oh Harry” at the time. The process of dividing up their $2 billion dollar fortune in cash, real estate and art sparked anger and accusations of dirty dealing from one spouse to the other. In particular, the fight of a pair of apartments at 432 Park Ave would cause bitter arguments.
4. New love
Meanwhile, Harry was planning his future with Patricia Landeau. Patricia, who is French, is also 18 years younger than 82 year old Harry. However, she takes pains to tell people that she’s not just a younger woman being kept by a very wealthy man.
In 2016, she told reporters that she is the current president of the French Friends of Israel Museum and comes from a wealthy background of her own. Now only that, she too was married during the early years of her romance with Harry. She was seperated from her second husband, a French banker.
The pair both swear that their love affair is the real deal, with Harry telling people how happy he was to be leaving Linda for Patricia, saying, “I have a lilt. I’m getting a divorce because my life with my ex-wife was not a happy one.”
5. Wedding
Patricia and Harry are set to marry this week and they’re not keeping the nuptials a secret in any way. In addition to a wedding that hundreds of guests will attend, Harry erected a tribute to himself and Patricia on the side of 432 Park Ave. A 42 foot high black and white portrait of the couple now hangs on the building, exactly at the level of the floor where Harry and Linda fought over rights to that pair of condominiums that they owned.
Linda ultimately walked away from the opportunity to buy a $14 million dollar property there during the division of property between them. Now, instead of Linda living on the inside, the smiling faces of Harry and Patricia adorn the outside. Harry said of the portrait, “Our smiling faces will be on a building that I built — and I am proud of my wife, my life, my friends and colleagues. It gives me a great thrill [to] share this moment of joy and happiness.”
Harry and Patricia will be officially married on March 7, 2019. New York Supreme Court Justice Alan Scheinkman will preside over the ceremony.
Rebekah Kuschmider has been writing about celebrities, pop culture, entertainment, and politics since 2010. Her work has been seen at Ravishly, Babble, Scary Mommy, The Mid, Redbook online, and The Broad Side. She is the creator of the blog Stay at Home Pundit and she is a cohost of the weekly podcast The More Perfect Union.