Michelle Leslie
Encyclopedia
Michelle Leslie who also works under the name Michelle Lee, is an Australian model
. Leslie is best known for her 2005 arrest, conviction and three-month imprisonment (time served) for possessing two ecstasy tablets in Bali
, Indonesia
. Prior to this she was a model for Antz Pantz and Crystelle lingerie.
In Australia, the case received national media coverage at the time of the Schappelle Corby and "Bali Nine
" trials, two other high profile cases of Australians convicted on drugs charges in Bali.
, South Australia
to Albert and Violeta Leslie. Albert Leslie, her father, was later known both as a former Olympian
and as assistant coach to the Adelaide 36ers
basketball team. A self-confessed tomboy when young, Michelle Leslie was educated at Sacred Heart College
in Adelaide, and became interested in modeling only after her father gave her a course at a modeling school as a 15th birthday present. She enjoyed it enough to undertake a second course, and shortly thereafter left school in order to pursue a fulltime modeling career. She soon emerged as one of the "most prominent catwalk and catalogue models" in the state, working for stores such as David Jones
and Harris Scarfe
.
In 2000 she appeared as one of the 20 finalists in the first series of the Australian Search for a Supermodel
reality show, and was first runner-up in the 2000 Miss World Australia pageant held in Darwin. She was "catapulted on to the international catwalk" when her appearance, the product of her Filipina
and Australian background, became in demand. As a result she gained work within Asia
, appearing under the name "Michelle Lee". Off the catwalks she gained prominence as one of the two models involved in a 2004 Antz Pantz advertising campaign and, prior to this, as the face of the Crystelle lingerie brand.
on the Indonesia
n island of Bali
. Police suspected the pills to be illegal substances and she was arrested, with forensic tests subsequently finding the pills to be the drug ecstasy. Urine tests conducted at the time of her arrest showed no evidence of the use of the drug, although a later blood test found traces of amphetamine
s. Her arrest was the third arrest of an Australian in Bali on drugs charges in twelve months following the Schapelle Corby
and Bali Nine
cases. This prompted Australian Foreign Affairs Minister
, Alexander Downer
, to warn Australians about the dangers of drug possession while traveling in Asia, and led the Australian Prime Minister
, John Howard
, to comment that Australians caught with drugs "can't expect the Government to bail them out."
According to Indonesian police, Leslie claimed that the pills were given to her by a friend, "Mia". Mia was later revealed to be Nameera Azmaan, who was also a model based in Singapore and working out of the Chic Management Agency. Azmaan denied having given the ecstasy to Ms Leslie. At the time of arrest, Leslie was in the company of Azman and, allegedly, one of the sons of the then Coordinating Minister for the Economy Aburizal Bakrie
and two unidentified men.
On 14 October 2005 the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Leslie could possibly be released within weeks as a report from a Sydney
doctor had been provided to prosecutors stating that she was addicted to prescription
medication. Under Indonesian law this would allow her to be tried as a "user" and benefit from a reduced sentence. The maximum sentence for a user is three months imprisonment, whereas the maximum penalty for possession is 15 years.
Leslie's trial began on 28 October 2005 in the Denpasar District Court and concluded on 18 November with her being found guilty of using a prohibited substance. She was sentenced to three months in jail but, due to the three months already spent in custody, was freed from Kerobokan prison at about 1 p.m. on 19 November. Indonesian immigration officials announced the she would be deported
from the country due to her guilty conviction. She flew out of Bali to Singapore where she spent time with friends and family before returning to Sydney, Australia on the morning of 22 November.
and announced through a spokesman that she had converted to the Islamic faith
some eighteen months prior to her arrest, although some in the media had suggested otherwise—arguing that her conversion was much more recent and an attempt to win favour in court. However, the nature of her belief remains unclear. In an interview after her release, she stated that she did not "really know what makes you or not makes you a Muslim", and that she was "not a practising Muslim". Years later, her religious beliefs continued to spark commentary, with accusations that she was an "on-again, off-again Muslim model" and that she had "introduced the world to disposable Islam".
The change in dress that coincided with her announcement led to further debate, with Leslie choosing to don a burqa
on one occasion when she appeared in court, and opting to wear Islamic dress, such as traditional Muslim hijab
, until she was released. Strong criticism emerged upon her release when she was seen wearing tight-fitting clothes without the hijab on her departure from the prison. Once she had returned to Australia, the President of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils
, Ameer Ali
, joined the debate by recommending that she refrain from returning to her former career as "a model for lingerie and underwear", as such behaviour was "not allowed in Islam". In explaining her reasons for adopting the dress, Leslie stated in an interview for 60 Minutes, that the reason she started wearing the hijab while incarcerated was because she was afraid of being sexually assaulted, and to protect herself when she faced the "media scrum". Her decision to wear traditional Islamic dress for protection has since been raised as a defence of sharia law
, as it has been suggested that she demonstrated how the "requirement for Muslim women to cover themselves was meant to protect them".
to help raise money for the charity Krousar Thmey, meeting with King Norodom Sihamoni
and spending time in local orphanages, before returning home to once again appear on the catwalk. Arriving in time for Australian Fashion Week
, her return to the catwalk was in April 2006, modelling swimwear for designer Michael Azzollini.
Although she did have a few modelling jobs after returning to Australia, her career took a different turn when, in 2007, she launched a range of clothing for dog
s. Working with friend (and current owner of the business) Traci Griffith, "Miyow & Barkley" had early success when their first range of clothing and accessories sold out shortly after being launched.
More recently, Leslie has been working with fiancé Adam Zammit to promote events through Peer Group Media.
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
. Leslie is best known for her 2005 arrest, conviction and three-month imprisonment (time served) for possessing two ecstasy tablets in Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. Prior to this she was a model for Antz Pantz and Crystelle lingerie.
In Australia, the case received national media coverage at the time of the Schappelle Corby and "Bali Nine
Bali Nine
The Bali Nine is the name given to a group of nine Australians arrested on 17 April 2005, in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, in a plan to smuggle of heroin valued at approximately A$4 million from Indonesia to Australia...
" trials, two other high profile cases of Australians convicted on drugs charges in Bali.
Early career
Leslie was born in AdelaideAdelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
to Albert and Violeta Leslie. Albert Leslie, her father, was later known both as a former Olympian
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
and as assistant coach to the Adelaide 36ers
Adelaide 36ers
The Adelaide 36ers are Adelaide's men's professional basketball team, established as the Adelaide City Eagles when they joined the National Basketball League in 1982. The Adelaide 36ers tally of four championships is equal with the Melbourne Tigers and second behind the Perth Wildcats as the most...
basketball team. A self-confessed tomboy when young, Michelle Leslie was educated at Sacred Heart College
Sacred Heart College, Adelaide
Sacred Heart College is a Catholic school upholding the Marist tradition in the Adelaide beachside suburb of Somerton Park, South Australia...
in Adelaide, and became interested in modeling only after her father gave her a course at a modeling school as a 15th birthday present. She enjoyed it enough to undertake a second course, and shortly thereafter left school in order to pursue a fulltime modeling career. She soon emerged as one of the "most prominent catwalk and catalogue models" in the state, working for stores such as David Jones
David Jones Limited
David Jones Limited , colloquially known as DJs, is a high-end Australian department store chain.David Jones was founded in 1838 by David Jones, a Welsh immigrant, and is claimed to be the oldest continuously operating department store in the world still trading under its original name. It...
and Harris Scarfe
Harris Scarfe
Harris Scarfe Department Stores was founded in Adelaide, South Australia in 1849. At its peak, Adelaide was home to several major South Australian department stores , of which Harris Scarfe is the sole...
.
In 2000 she appeared as one of the 20 finalists in the first series of the Australian Search for a Supermodel
Search for a Supermodel
Search for a Supermodel was a reality television series on Network Ten in Australia that aired from 2000 to 2002 where regional finalists competed for a contract with Ford Models. The winner of each series went on to compete in the international version of the show...
reality show, and was first runner-up in the 2000 Miss World Australia pageant held in Darwin. She was "catapulted on to the international catwalk" when her appearance, the product of her Filipina
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
and Australian background, became in demand. As a result she gained work within Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, appearing under the name "Michelle Lee". Off the catwalks she gained prominence as one of the two models involved in a 2004 Antz Pantz advertising campaign and, prior to this, as the face of the Crystelle lingerie brand.
Arrest and trial
On 21 August 2005 two pills were discovered by police in Michelle Leslie's handbag during her visit to an open-air dance party at GWK parkGaruda Wisnu Kencana
Mandala Garuda Wisnu Kencana, or Garuda Wisnu Kencana is a private cultural park on the Bukit Peninsula at the southern end of the island of Bali in Indonesia...
on the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n island of Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
. Police suspected the pills to be illegal substances and she was arrested, with forensic tests subsequently finding the pills to be the drug ecstasy. Urine tests conducted at the time of her arrest showed no evidence of the use of the drug, although a later blood test found traces of amphetamine
Amphetamine
Amphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...
s. Her arrest was the third arrest of an Australian in Bali on drugs charges in twelve months following the Schapelle Corby
Schapelle Corby
Schapelle Leigh Corby is an Australian woman convicted of drug smuggling who is imprisoned in Indonesia.Corby is serving a 20-year sentence for the importation of of cannabis into Bali, Indonesia...
and Bali Nine
Bali Nine
The Bali Nine is the name given to a group of nine Australians arrested on 17 April 2005, in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, in a plan to smuggle of heroin valued at approximately A$4 million from Indonesia to Australia...
cases. This prompted Australian Foreign Affairs Minister
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Australia)
In the Government of Australia, the Minister for Foreign Affairs is responsible for overseeing the international diplomacy section of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In common with international practice, the office is often informally referred to as Foreign Minister...
, Alexander Downer
Alexander Downer
Alexander John Gosse Downer is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was Foreign Minister of Australia from March 1996 to December 2007, the longest-serving in Australian history...
, to warn Australians about the dangers of drug possession while traveling in Asia, and led the Australian Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
, John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
, to comment that Australians caught with drugs "can't expect the Government to bail them out."
According to Indonesian police, Leslie claimed that the pills were given to her by a friend, "Mia". Mia was later revealed to be Nameera Azmaan, who was also a model based in Singapore and working out of the Chic Management Agency. Azmaan denied having given the ecstasy to Ms Leslie. At the time of arrest, Leslie was in the company of Azman and, allegedly, one of the sons of the then Coordinating Minister for the Economy Aburizal Bakrie
Aburizal Bakrie
In this Indonesian name, the name "Bakrie" is a family name, and the person should be referred to by the family name "Bakrie".Aburizal Bakrie is an Indonesian entrepreneur and politician.- Family business :...
and two unidentified men.
On 14 October 2005 the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Leslie could possibly be released within weeks as a report from a Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
doctor had been provided to prosecutors stating that she was addicted to prescription
Prescription drug
A prescription medication is a licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a medical prescription before it can be obtained. The term is used to distinguish it from over-the-counter drugs which can be obtained without a prescription...
medication. Under Indonesian law this would allow her to be tried as a "user" and benefit from a reduced sentence. The maximum sentence for a user is three months imprisonment, whereas the maximum penalty for possession is 15 years.
Leslie's trial began on 28 October 2005 in the Denpasar District Court and concluded on 18 November with her being found guilty of using a prohibited substance. She was sentenced to three months in jail but, due to the three months already spent in custody, was freed from Kerobokan prison at about 1 p.m. on 19 November. Indonesian immigration officials announced the she would be deported
Deportation
Deportation means the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. Today it often refers to the expulsion of foreign nationals whereas the expulsion of nationals is called banishment, exile, or penal transportation...
from the country due to her guilty conviction. She flew out of Bali to Singapore where she spent time with friends and family before returning to Sydney, Australia on the morning of 22 November.
Alleged conversion to Islam
During her incarceration, Leslie began wearing Islamic dressIslam and clothing
Adherents of Islam are concerned with clothing in two contexts: clothing for everyday wear, inside and outside the house; and clothing required in specifically religious contexts....
and announced through a spokesman that she had converted to the Islamic faith
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
some eighteen months prior to her arrest, although some in the media had suggested otherwise—arguing that her conversion was much more recent and an attempt to win favour in court. However, the nature of her belief remains unclear. In an interview after her release, she stated that she did not "really know what makes you or not makes you a Muslim", and that she was "not a practising Muslim". Years later, her religious beliefs continued to spark commentary, with accusations that she was an "on-again, off-again Muslim model" and that she had "introduced the world to disposable Islam".
The change in dress that coincided with her announcement led to further debate, with Leslie choosing to don a burqa
Burqa
A burqa is an enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic religion to cover their bodies in public places. The burqa is usually understood to be the woman's loose body-covering , plus the head-covering , plus the face-veil .-Etymology:A speculative and unattested etymology...
on one occasion when she appeared in court, and opting to wear Islamic dress, such as traditional Muslim hijab
Hijab
The word "hijab" or "'" refers to both the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women and modest Muslim styles of dress in general....
, until she was released. Strong criticism emerged upon her release when she was seen wearing tight-fitting clothes without the hijab on her departure from the prison. Once she had returned to Australia, the President of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils
Australian Federation of Islamic Councils
The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils was founded in 1964 as an umbrella group for various Islamic groups or councils, and is considered Australia's most important Islamic organisation. The mission of AFIC is to provide service to the community in a manner that is in accordance with the...
, Ameer Ali
Ameer Ali
Ameer Ali is the ex-President of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, an umbrella group for various Islamic groups or councils in Australia...
, joined the debate by recommending that she refrain from returning to her former career as "a model for lingerie and underwear", as such behaviour was "not allowed in Islam". In explaining her reasons for adopting the dress, Leslie stated in an interview for 60 Minutes, that the reason she started wearing the hijab while incarcerated was because she was afraid of being sexually assaulted, and to protect herself when she faced the "media scrum". Her decision to wear traditional Islamic dress for protection has since been raised as a defence of sharia law
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
, as it has been suggested that she demonstrated how the "requirement for Muslim women to cover themselves was meant to protect them".
Recent activities
Upon her return to Australia, Michelle Leslie left the Chic Management agency and signed with agent Max Markson. Shortly thereafter she travelled to CambodiaCambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
to help raise money for the charity Krousar Thmey, meeting with King Norodom Sihamoni
Norodom Sihamoni
Norodom Sihamoni is the current reigning King of Cambodia. He is the eldest son of Norodom Sihanouk and Norodom Monineath Sihanouk. Previously Cambodia's ambassador to UNESCO, he was named by a nine-member throne council to become the next king after his father Norodom Sihanouk abdicated in 2004...
and spending time in local orphanages, before returning home to once again appear on the catwalk. Arriving in time for Australian Fashion Week
Australian Fashion Week
Australian Fashion Week is an annual fashion industry event showcasing the latest seasonal collections from Australian and Asia Pacific Designers...
, her return to the catwalk was in April 2006, modelling swimwear for designer Michael Azzollini.
Although she did have a few modelling jobs after returning to Australia, her career took a different turn when, in 2007, she launched a range of clothing for dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s. Working with friend (and current owner of the business) Traci Griffith, "Miyow & Barkley" had early success when their first range of clothing and accessories sold out shortly after being launched.
More recently, Leslie has been working with fiancé Adam Zammit to promote events through Peer Group Media.