{"id":47049,"date":"2026-08-15T17:44:26","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T12:44:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=47049"},"modified":"2026-08-15T17:44:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T12:44:26","slug":"nyc-designer-martha-nolan-oslatarra-harassed-accused-of-fraud-by-boat-owner-days-before-death-texts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=47049","title":{"rendered":"NYC designer Martha Nolan-O\u2019Slatarra &#8216;harassed,&#8217; accused of fraud by boat owner days before death: texts"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2026%2F08%2FComp-01.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Hamptons fashion entrepreneur Martha Nolan-O\u2019Slatarra said she was being \u201charassed\u201d and accused of fraud by financier <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/08\/13\/us-news\/family-of-nyc-designer-martha-nolan-oslatarra-searching-for-more-details-into-her-death\/\">Chris Durnan<\/a> just days before she was found dead on his boat, texts obtained by The Post reveal.<\/p>\n<p>The 33-year-old Irish-born swimwear designer had Durnan blocked on her phone on Aug. 1, 2025, when he unleashed fiery text messages at her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/eastxeast\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">East x East<\/a> business partner Dylan Grace accusing the pair of fraud.<\/p>\n<p>Nolan-O\u2019Slattara promised Grace she would meet with Durnan \u2014 who had bought roughly 13% of their company in 2022 for $250,000 \u2014 to address the claims of financial misbehavior.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Martha Nolan-O\u2019Slatarra and Chris Durnan are seen together on Nov. 22, 2022<br \/>around the time he first invested in her company East x East. <span class=\"credit\">Obtained by the NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cOh god . . . I\u2019ll meet him Monday,\u201d Nolan-O\u2019Slatarra assured Grace, according to screen shots of the exchange provided to The Post.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCan you unblock him for the weekend,\u201d Grace requested. Martha replied, \u201cDid it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The next day, Nolan-O\u2019Slatarra, who had blocked Durnan from calling her months earlier, complained that Durnan was aggressively messaging her.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m getting harassed,\u201d Nolan-O\u2019Slatarra wrote to Grace on Aug. 2. \u201cHe won\u2019t stop texting me like 10 times.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Irish-born beauty wrote that Durnan was saying \u201cshite like you ghosting me\u201d and that Durnan was \u201clooking for attention such a kid.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Two days later, on Aug. 4, Nolan-O\u2019Slatarra met Durnan for a business meeting. It would end in her death. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Martha Nolan-O\u2019Slatarra (left) and Dylan Grace were accused of fraud<br \/>by investor Chris Durnan just three days before she was found dead<br \/>on his boat. <span class=\"credit\">dylanpgrace\/instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Nolan-O\u2019Slatarra met Durnan on his boat \u201cHell in a Bucket\u201d at about 7:30 p.m. <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/08\/06\/us-news\/lawyer-claims-nyc-fashion-designer-who-died-in-montauk-yacht-mystery-was-covered-in-blood-but-scene-was-wiped\/\">at the Montauk Yacht Club<\/a> and the two took the boat out for a tour and drank champagne at sunset, which was at 8:08 p.m. that night, according to a New York Magazine report.<\/p>\n<p>The pair then returned at an unknown time to the yacht club and moved to Durnan\u2019s other boat, \u201cRipple,\u201d the magazine reported. <\/p>\n<p>What transpired is still the subject of a police investigation. <\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Here is the latest on the dead body found on a Montauk Yacht Club boat<\/h2>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<p>EMTs who responded to the boat at midnight <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/08\/08\/us-news\/medical-report-details-nyc-fashion-designers-condition-when-emts-arrived-at-montauk-boat\/\">found Nolan-O\u2019Slattara dead<\/a> \u2014 cold to the touch, covered in blood, and purpling under her nailbeds.<\/p>\n<p>She was completely clothed on a bed on the boat, while Durnan was stark naked on the dock, where he had hailed another man, who called 911 and performed CPR, according to an EMT report obtained by The Post.<\/p>\n<div class=\"single__inline-module inline-module inline-module--newsletter aligncenter inline-module--nypostbusinessunit aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-newsletter\" data-source-unit=\"Inline Newsletter Module Morning Report\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__inner\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__title-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__unsubmitted-title-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"inline-module__cta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Durnan has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with her death and he has also denied any involvement.<\/p>\n<p>His lawyer claimed to New York Magazine that Durnan ditched his clothes because they were covered in Nolan-O\u2019Slattara\u2019s vomit, but the EMT report made no mention of vomit. His clothes were never recovered.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The Ripple, the boat where Nolan-O\u2019Slatarra was found dead, seen docked at the Montauk Yacht Club on Thursday, August 7, 2025. <span class=\"credit\">Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A photo obtained by The Post showed the pair on apparently good terms on Nov. 11, 2022.<\/p>\n<p>In the image, snapped at roughly the time when he was investing, Nolan-O\u2019Slatarra and Durnan sit smiling at a table covered in drinks, including champagne flutes and empty glasses of Guinness.<\/p>\n<p>Nolan-O\u2019Slatarra\u2019s family filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against Durnan in Manhattan Supreme Court.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Martha Nolan-O\u2019Slatarra is pictured in an undated Instagram photo. <span class=\"credit\">@marthanolan \/ Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cFor months prior to that meeting, Martha had him blocked from messaging and only unblocked him at the request of her business partner to try to assuage Durnan\u2019s complaints about the business,\u201d said Mike Bowe, lawyer for Brithem LLP, which is representing Nolan-O\u2019Slatarra\u2019s family in their suit against Durnan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe agreed to meet him. She died at that meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The estate of Martha Nolan-O\u2019Slatarra opened up a <a href=\"https:\/\/marthatipline.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tip line<\/a> on Thursday seeking information that may help the investigation into her death.<\/p>\n<p>Dylan Grace did not respond to The Post\u2019s request for comment.<\/p>\n<p>The Post also reached out to Chris Durnan and his attorney, Robert Holdman. Neither responded to requests for comment.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hamptons fashion entrepreneur Martha Nolan-O\u2019Slatarra said she was being \u201charassed\u201d and accused of fraud by financier Chris Durnan just days before she was found dead on his boat, texts obtained by The Post reveal. The 33-year-old Irish-born swimwear designer had Durnan blocked on her phone on Aug. 1, 2025, when he unleashed fiery text messages&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":47050,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/Comp-01.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47049","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=47049"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47049\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/47050"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=47049"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=47049"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=47049"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}