Rachel Uchitel (/ˈjuːkɪtɛl/; born January 30, 1975)[2] is an American nightclub manager, hostess, and TV correspondent. She first encountered publicity when,
following the September 11 attacks, a photo of her holding a picture of her fiancé, who worked in the World Trade Center, was published on the front page of the New York Post and circulated worldwide. She made headlines again in 2010 as one of golfer Tiger Woods' mistresses. In 2010, she appeared in the fourth season of the American reality television series Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. Rachel currently hosts a weekly podcast 'Miss Understood with Rachel Uchitel' which tops the charts weekly.
Early life
Uchitel is the daughter of Robert N. Uchitel (1946–1990) and the granddaughter of Maurice Uchitel (1911–2000) a restaurant and nightclub owner born in the Russian Empire. He owned several establishments in the 1950s and 1960s, including the El Morocco nightclub.[3] Her surname Uchitel (Russian: Учитель, [ʊˈt͡ɕʲitʲɪlʲ]) means "teacher" in Russian and several other Slavic languages.
At the age of 13, she was sent to CEDU School in Running Springs, California where she claims she was made to dig a grave with a spoon and then lie in it.[4] Several years later, CEDU would be shut down after losing several lawsuits for battery, neglect, racketeering, invasion of privacy, and child abuse.
In 1990, she died of a cocaine overdose.[5] According to Uchitel, her father's death required her to mature quickly and was one of the incidents in her life that led to her own addictions later.[6]
Uchitel began her career after college working in television and film, with a five-year stint as a producer in the Bloomberg News television division, a period in which she became "engaged to a man who died in the 9/11 attacks."[9][10][better source needed] Uchitel has served as a special correspondent on nightlife for Extra.[when?][citation needed]
VIP hosting
In 2005, Uchitel moved to Las Vegas and was a VIP hostess at the Tao in Las Vegas, Nevada,[11][12] the following year, and whose ownership included occasional boyfriend Jason Strauss.[8][9] She said, "In a random career move and a life-changing experience, I found myself living in Las Vegas to launch Tao nightclub and restaurant.... Two years later, I was back in New York to oversee VIP operations for all of their companies and venues, such as Stanton Social, Marquee, Tao Bistro, and Dune.[10]
Uchitel ran the VIP section of "some of the most successful clubs in New York."[when?][10] As of 2009, Uchitel was living in Las Vegas but self-described as "too old for being a VIP host anymore".[9]
Other endeavors
In December 2013, Uchitel opened a children's boutique on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The store was named Wyatt Lily after her 2-year-old daughter and was named "Best Kids Birthday Presents" in New York magazine's annual Best Of issue in 2015.[13] It has since closed down.
Media appearances
Uchitel was a cast member in the fourth season of the VH1 reality television program Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew which documents notable persons being treated for substance abuse – in her case, alcohol, opiates, and benzodiazepines.[14]Dr. Drew Pinsky, who normally is not involved with casting for the series[15] reportedly visited Uchitel personally in order to convince her to be cast on the show, for which she was paid $500,000 to appear – double the amount initially offered to her by producers.[16]
Personal life
Uchitel, then 26, had been engaged to James Andrew O'Grady, age 32, a managing director of Sandler O'Neill, when O'Grady was killed in the September 11 attacks of the World Trade Center.[8][17] A few days later she appeared on the front page of the New York Post holding a picture of O'Grady, which was republished worldwide.[2][18][19][20] Uchitel and her fiancé's family subsequently debated the disposition of his estate.[17][21]
In 2004, Uchitel married Wall Street trader and childhood friend Steven Ehrenkranz.[8][22] Their marriage lasted four months.[23]
On October 2, 2011, she married insurance underwriter and former Penn Statefullback Matt Hahn, who is ten years her junior.[28] In May 2012, Uchitel gave birth to a daughter.[29] Hahn filed for divorce from Uchitel in 2013.[30] The divorce was finalized in January 2014.[1]
^Vryenhoek, Leslie (June 6, 2003). "The danger of mourning strangers". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on December 17, 2009. Retrieved December 7, 2009. ("The image of Rachel Uchitel making an emotional plea as she searches for her fiancé in Manhattan was used in newspapers worldwide.")
