Brynne Edelsten, 37, says she has ‘no regrets’ about marrying Geoffrey, 77

Brynne Edelsten became a household name in 2009 when she married millionaire businessman Geoffrey Edelsten, who is 40 years her senior. 

And while their relationship didn’t last, 37-year-old Brynne insists she has ‘no regrets’ about their their union, despite being widely described as a ‘gold digger’ at the time.

The American socialite told New Idea on Monday she went through years of feeling ‘lost and defeated’ following their high-profile divorce, but still wouldn’t change anything and wants to keep her 77-year-old ex-husband’s surname.

The former fitness instructor wed the Australian medical entrepreneur at a lavish $3.3million Melbourne ceremony in November 2009.

The pair separated in 2014 after five years of marriage, and finalised their divorce several years later.

‘I have no regrets from that time in my life. Not at all. With all the good times and bad times, that’s what’s brought me to where I am today… I wouldn’t trade for anything,’ she said. 

Brynne chewed through all her savings in the years after their separation and declared bankruptcy in 2016. 

In June 2015, she told The Kyle and Jackie O Show she’d hoped for a large monetary settlement, but this didn’t happen.

Despite no longer being in contact with Geoffrey, Brynne continues to use his surname.

‘I’ve taken his name for so long and I don’t even think of it as Geoffrey’s surname anymore. I think of it as a surname I’ve used for this many years,’ she explained.

‘It doesn’t have anything to do with the marriage anymore. It’s who I’ve identified with.’

In an emotional reflection on Instagram in December, the American socialite, 37, insisted she had bounced back from some of the lowest moments in her life.   

Brynne, who once flaunted her lavish lifestyle on reality TV show My Bedazzled Life, was recently employed by a Japanese karaoke bar, and now supports herself.

‘I felt completely defeated and had literally given up on EVERYTHING, but it turns out that’s exactly what I needed to do,’ she wrote, in part.

The blonde bombshell said she is now ‘at peace’ with herself and is the happiest she’s been in a long time. 

In June 2016, Brynne was declared bankrupt by Melbourne’s Federal Circuit Court. 

It was previously reported that a Victorian law film had begun proceedings against Brynne for $70,000 in unpaid bills. 

At the time, Brynne publicly claimed to have ‘cut back (her) cost of living dramatically’ amid her financial troubles and was living ‘on a budget’ in a one-bedroom apartment while waiting for a divorce settlement.     

‘I’ve gone through all my savings,’ she confessed to the Herald Sun in 2016.  

Brynne has had quite the chequered romantic history over the past decade, and was even briefly engaged to comedian Brett Hunter in 2017.  

She told New Idea this week that she hoped to find love with Mr Right someday. 

‘I would get married again,’ Brynne admitted, adding that while she’s always dreamed of starting a family of her own she has come to accept that it may not be on the cards for her.