But, in a court witness box on Tuesday, Danielle Vlahos was having to parry criminal accusations of her own.Â
Danielle was testifying against her cousin and former business partner Vicki Vlahos, who is accused of blackmailing her by threatening to reveal an affair she had with Vicki's ex-husband Issac Chami.
Vicki and Danielle had co-founded the wildly successful Australian fashion label Portia & Scarlett, which in 2023 was dressing contestants in the Miss Universe beauty pageant and being eyed by a buyer for millions of dollars.
During cross-examination in Sydney's Downing Centre District Court, defence barrister Tom Hughes grilled Danielle on whether she had engaged in criminal behaviour to maximise advantage over her older cousin.
After Vicki was charged with blackmail in 2025, Mr Hughes said Mr Chami articulated a plan to delay or prevent Danielle, the key witness, testifying in Vicki's trial in exchange for favours.
Danielle was part of that plan to pervert the course of justice and "run dead as a witness", Mr Hughes said, pointing to a June 2025 telephone call he alleges Danielle was party to.
"We can achieve it ... I've got resources, you've got resources and we have to finesse this, we have to finesse it well, and if that's just you buying time," Mr Chami allegedly said in a transcript read to the jury by Mr Hughes.
"I'm not adhering to these cocksuckers (the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions) when they do call and want comments," Mr Chami allegedly said.
Danielle Vlahos denies being involved with the alleged plot.
"You fully well understood that Issac was suggesting that Vicki's position in a criminal trial could be improved by you making life difficult for the (Director of Public Prosecutions)", Mr Hughes put to Danielle.
He alleged Danielle was using Mr Chami as a negotiator.
Danielle flatly rejected the accusations.
"This is not a blackmail at all, but a decision made by Danielle to set up Vicki, to involve police, all with a view to maximising her commercial advantage," Mr Hughes had told the court during his opening comments.
Throughout cross-examination on Tuesday, he showed frustration at Danielle Vlahos asking him to repeat and rephrase questions.
"Do you do this deliberately, Ms Vlahos?" he asked her at one stage.
"Are you buying time?"
Mr Hughes argued part of the alleged conspiracy to pervert justice involved procuring a fraudulent mental health assessment to delay Danielle testifying against Vicki.
"When it comes closer to the date we could do a psychiatric report saying she's (Danielle) not ready to stand on the stand to buy more time and from there we should keep on having to plan it out", Mr Chami allegedly said to Vicki on the telephone call, which Danielle denies hearing.
The trial continues on Wednesday.
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