The society luncheon, the rich list wife and more...

Mike Molloy and Julie Christie. Photo / Bradley Ambrose

Black comedy Burying Brian was the reason behind a tirade of abuse at a swanky luncheon at Euro restaurant on Tuesday, only no one was left laughing.

TV titan Julie Christie, who was made an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2007 for services to television, has been embarrassed by a vicious spat that was initiated by her brother (and colleague) and launched against the woman who holds tremendous power over their work.

Mike Molloy, business affairs director of Eyeworks New Zealand, the company that was formed after Christie sold Touchdown Productions to a Dutch media company in 2006 in a multi-million-dollar deal, was responsible for the vicious war of words against television power broker Jane Wilson, TVNZ's head of programming.

Wilson told Spy that Molloy's diatribe was "nonsensical and really unbelievable. It was very humiliating. I was really embarrassed and I was trying to calm him down but I couldn't."

The attack came only days after Wilson informed Eyeworks that TVNZ would be putting the second series of Burying Brian on hold.

"We told them we couldn't move forward with Burying Brian," Wilson said. A position, she says, that may not be permanent.

Molloy took umbrage with the network's decision and chose the sophisticated Melbourne Cup luncheon at popular Viaduct eatery Euro to verbally accost Wilson.

One eye witness to the attack told Spy: "It was appalling". "He was being incredibly aggressive and intimidating to a woman. It was disgraceful and totally unacceptable. He was f***ing angry."

Pint-sized socialite Gilda Kirkpatrick was the only person brave enough to confront Molloy's bullying behaviour and she served some choice words of her own in defence of Wilson.

Wilson said both Christie and Molloy phoned her the following day very remorseful and apologising profusely. She accepted their apologies and hopes that's the end of the matter.

Julie Christie told Spy she didn't witness the haranguing but she had spoken to her brother and "what he said to [Jane] was incorrect and he has apologised".

Molloy did not return my messages. Christie explained he was on a private holiday overseas, but he would not talk to me anyway.

Molloy, a charted accountant and director of The Living Channel NZ Ltd, Touchdown Formats Trust Ltd, Eyeworks Holding NZ Ltd and Touchline Ltd alongside his sister, lives in Remuera with his family. He runs the business affairs of Eyeworks New Zealand. Christie holds the position of chief executive.

Their television drama Burying Brian premiered in July last year. It was a six-episode mini-series that screened on TV One. After Molloy's outrageous outburst, it remains unclear if the second series will ever see air time.

Rachel Glucina

 

Pictured above: Mike Molloy and Julie Christie. Photo / Bradley Ambrose