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Alan Bond’s kin slam Nine miniseries for ‘demonising’ dad

Ben Mingay as Alan Bond and Rachael Taylor as Bond's second wife, Diana Bliss.

Ben Mingay as Alan Bond and Rachael Taylor as Bond's second wife, Diana Bliss. Photo: Nine

Relatives of Alan Bond have expressed their “profound disappointment and distress” over a Channel Nine miniseries depicting the disgraced businessman’s life and career.

House of Bond is a fictionalised account of the late Bond’s journey from Australia’s richest man to bankruptcy and jail for fraud – the biggest in Australian history.

The two episodes aired on Monday and Tuesday night this week.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the family slammed the series as an “inaccurate and shameful attack” and claimed no effort had been made by Nine – a network Bond briefly owned in the late 1980s – to contact them to ensure accuracy.

“The family understands that actors and other members of the cast of the House of Bond signed secrecy agreements to ensure that no advance exposure was given of the content of the production,” the statement said.

Bond died in 2015 at the age of 77 due to complications from heart surgery. He is survived first wife Eileen and his three children John, Craig and Jody.

Eileen Bond expressed regret that it was not possible for the family to pursue legal action, given defamation of a deceased person was prevented by statute.

Alan Bond and his second wife, Diana Bliss. Photo: Getty

Alan Bond and his second wife, Diana Bliss. Photo: Getty

While the statement acknowledged Bond had his shortcomings, it emphasised his “significant” contribution to Australian industry.

“He also enhanced the international reputation of Western Australia and Fremantle in particular through the America’s Cup and his philanthropy,” the statement said.

It argued the series presented him as a “sensationalised villain” and was “deeply distressing” to his grandchildren, who knew him as a “loving father and grandfather”.

“[T]he Bond family disassociates themselves entirely from the content of the House of Bond and express their profound disappointment and distress at its inaccurate and sensationalised demonising of Alan Bond.”

The show stars Ben Mingay as Bond, Adrienne Pickering as his first wife Eileen Bond and Rachael Taylor as his long-time mistress and second wife Diana Bliss.

Bliss took her own life in 2012 after a battle with depression.

This is not the first time Nine has come under fire for its portrayal of a prominent Australian figure.

Earlier this year the network promised not to broadcast or stream House of Hancock again after billionaire Gina Rinehart sought damages and an apology for its treatment of her family.

A spokesperson for the network told The New Daily: “We believe the portrayal of Bondy in our mini-series shows the quintessential Aussie larrikin we all knew for his passion, courage to take on the establishment as well as his flaws.”

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