JOIN USBeauty queen has little time for ailing father
The 38-year-old Hyderabad beauty, only the third Indian woman to win the Miss World title, is accused of ignoring her 74-year-old father Aubrey Hayden who had divorced her mother long ago and remarried.
Ironically, Diana Hayden was in the city a few days ago for a ‘Heal a Child’ programme of an NGO she supports. She flew to Bangkok on Saturday without seeing Aubrey.
Her rueful stepmother Marilyn said “Diana is not in touch with us and never comes to visit her father though he is dying to see her.” But Diana’s admirers pooh- poohed Marilyn’s claim. Diana didn’t have a great bond with her dad ever since he divorced her mother Dahlgren who later moved to Mumbai. Family sources say that even after numerous attempts Diana remained unavailable but her brother Shane is expected to fly in from Canada on Monday.
Born and bred in Hyderabad Diana studied in St Anns High School, Secunderabad where she dropped out after Class VIII but continued her studies and graduated from Osmania University with English Major through correspondence.
Diana worked in an event management company and later as PRO at BMG Crescendo, where she assisted in managing the careers of model-singers Anaida and Mehnaz. She later turned to modelling herself before she took part in Femina Miss India and later the Miss World competitions which she won in 1997.
She later moved to London as part of her assignment with the Miss World organisation. Diana studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and also at the Drama Studio London and in 2001 made her screen debut in the film version of Shakespeare’s Othello in South Africa.
In 2006, Diana became the brand ambassador of the Avalon Academy and currently serves as a celebrity guest lecturer for airline personnel training programmes. She was in the news again in 2008 when she entered the second season of the popular Indian TV show “Bigg Boss”.
In 1997, when Diana won her Miss World crown, Aubrey Hayden had recorded the telecast from Seychelles and loved replaying the final few moments and the crowning ceremony to visitors.
Each time watching his daughter wearing the tiara Aubrey would say, “I am a humble man but a proud father”.