Irish‑born designer Martha Nolan‑O’Slatarra told friends she ‘was being harassed and repeatedly messaged by financier Chris Durnan‘ just days before she was found dead on his yacht in Montauk.

The 33‑year‑old swimwear entrepreneur, who co‑founded the Hamptons brand East x East, had apparently blocked Durnan on her phone earlier in the summer.

But on August 1, 2025, he allegedly sent a series of heated messages to her business partner Dylan Grace, accusing the pair of fraud. It’s thought that Martha agreed to unblock him temporarily, telling Grace she would meet Durnan the following Monday to address the claims.

In messages seen by the New York Post, Martha told Dylan the messages had already become overwhelming. ‘I’m getting harassed,’ she wrote. ‘He won’t stop texting me like 10 times.’ She added that he was accusing her of “ghosting” him.

Three days later, on August 4, Martha met Durnan at the Montauk Yacht Club for what was meant to be a business discussion.

The pair boarded his boat, Hell in a Bucket, around 7.30pm and took it out for a sunset cruise, reportedly drinking champagne as the sun went down. They later returned to the marina and moved to Durnan’s second boat, Ripple.

What happened next remains the subject of an active police investigation.

Martha, who had built a successful career in New York’s fashion scene, first met Durnan in 2022 when he invested $250,000 for a 13 per cent stake in East x East.

Friends say the relationship between the investor and the founders had become strained in recent months, with tensions escalating over finances and communication.

Martha’s death sent shockwaves through the Hamptons creative community, where she was known for her swimwear designs, her Irish roots and her close partnership with Grace.

Tributes poured in from friends, colleagues and former collaborators, remembering her as warm, ambitious and deeply talented.

As investigators continue to piece together the final hours of her life, the newly surfaced messages have added another layer to a case that remains open — and deeply unsettling.