EXCLUSIVE: Princess Diana's Tragic 'Playboy' Lover Dodi Fayed's 'True Love Was Bingeing on Drugs and Booze' — And He Had 'Zero Interest In Women'
Princess Diana's tragic lover Dodi Fayed appeared to have a dark side no one knew about.
Sept. 3 2025, Published 8:00 p.m. ET
Dodi Fayed, remembered worldwide for his brief romance with Princess Diana, has been described by those who knew him as a man consumed not by women or Hollywood glamour but by cocaine, as fans of the tragic royal prepare for the 28th anniversary of her and the playboy's deaths, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Egyptian film producer, who died alongside Diana in a Paris car crash in 1997, is portrayed in the latest season of Netflix's The Crown as the shy playboy who pursued the Princess of Wales at the urging of his billionaire father, Mohamed Al Fayed.
The Truth Behind Dodi
Insiders doubt the fairy-tale romance portrayed in 'The Crown.'
But friends say the series misses the central truth of his life – his rampant drug use.
Hollywood talent manager Paul Cohen, who befriended Dodi in the 1980s, claimed: "Dodi didn't care about films or the trappings of being a producer.
"Cocaine was what drove him. People saw him photographed with actresses and models, but he showed very little sexual interest in anyone. The great love of his life was drugs."
Cohen recalled the notorious '3Cs' gatherings – champagne, cocaine, and caviar – hosted by Fayed in private bungalows at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
He Showed No Interest In Beautiful A-Listers
Hollywood manager Paul Cohen claims drugs were Dodi’s true passion.
"His parties could last three days straight," he added. "He would sit there quietly, taking line after line. There were silver platters and bowls of the stuff in every room.
"Hollywood was awash in cocaine in the '80s, but Dodi's supply was on another scale."
Though surrounded by women, including Brooke Shields, Winona Ryder, and Barbra Streisand, Dodi appeared indifferent.
Cohen claimed: "In the early days, I even asked someone if he might be gay, because he brushed off advances from men as well as women. The truth was he simply wasn't interested in sex. His addiction left him detached and often paranoid."
Dodi's 'Drug' Problem Exposed
Filmmaker David Puttnam kicked Dodi off a movie set for drug use.
Filmmaker David Puttnam, director of Chariots of Fire, where Fayed was credited as executive producer, said he had to eject him from the set over his drug use.
Puttnam recalled: "On one of the rare occasions Dodi turned up, I discovered he'd been offering the cast cocaine. I told him, 'With the best will in the world, Dodi, this didn't happen. And I never want to see you again around my cast and crew.'
"He was one of the laziest people I ever came across."
Cohen paints a more sympathetic portrait of a lonely man desperate for approval from his father.
"He called Mohamed 'The Boss.' When the phone rang, he would shrink into a boy again. He lived on a vast allowance but knew it could be cut at any moment. That dependence ate away at him," Cohen claimed.
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Dodi was still engaged to Kelly Fisher when he met Diana.
Despite his lavish lifestyle, paranoia stalked the wild playboy. Dodi insisted on traveling with armed bodyguards and would scan restaurants for threats.
Cohen said: "I teased him that no one knew who he was, but he worried constantly about kidnappings. With his father's wealth, he thought he was a target."
When he met Diana in 1997, Dodi was still engaged to model Kelly Fisher.
Cohen said: "Most of us were shocked. He had another fiancée, and he hadn't conquered his drug habit. To imagine him as Diana's last great romance never rang true."
Dodi was 42 when he died in the Alma tunnel crash on August 31.
Cohen reflected: "I sometimes wonder if his paranoia from cocaine use played into what happened that night. But whatever his flaws, Dodi was gentle, generous – a good man. It's sad that even in death, he was overshadowed by Diana."
