PARKER: Britney's ex-beau marries, buys Colorado mansion
By Penny Parker, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Originally published 04:22 p.m., May 21, 2008
Updated 04:50 p.m., May 21, 2008
Photo by John Sundahl
The new Mrs. Sundahl in her wedding dress on her wedding day.
Photo by Rocky Mountain News
John Sundahl in an earlier photo.
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Former Britney Spears boyfriend John Sundahl just closed on a $16.85 million mansion in Bachelor Gulch, where he and his new wife will call home base starting early next month.
Yup, new wife. As in married Tuesday night in a secret ceremony in front of a star-studded guest list of 225 at Sundahl’s Beverly Hills home.
“She’s a former Victoria’s Secret model I’ve known for years, but don’t give me a hard time,” he told me Wednesday from his honeymoon spot on his 400-acre ranch in Cabo San Lucas.
The new Mrs. Sundahl is the former Barbara Istvanovic, 24, a Slovakian beauty who no longer models. She accompanied Sundahl, 39, to the Jenna Bush-Henry Hager wedding May 11 on daddy George W. Bush’s Crawford, Texas, ranch.
Sundahl said that he and Istvanovic have been dating 10 months, and they’ve been planning the nuptials for weeks while trying to keep it away from the tabloid press. He said he spent $150,000 on security alone.
“I put up a big tent outside so nobody could fly helicopters overhead to see in,” he said. “We had tons of fake people who look like us showing up in different towns to drive the tabloids crazy.”
Sundahl’s life turned into a media circus when he briefly dated pop star Britney Spears, who he met and befriended at an AA meeting in Los Angeles last May. They broke up after two months, but remain friends.
The newlyweds will fly directly from Cabo to Bachelor Gulch to set up house in a 10,000-square-foot, six bedroom, eight bath mansion. Sundahl says he’s in the process of moving his real estate development firm from L.A. to Denver.
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May 21, 2008
4:54 p.m.
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johnson writes:
Man! Now THAT's news! zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
May 21, 2008
5:24 p.m.
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Vtwinman writes:
F.Y.I. johnson
Penny Parker is and has been for quite a while the gossip/style/entertainment writer for the R.M.N.
This is what she gets paid to write about.
Also NEWS FLASH::Mike Littwin is liberal, Tina Griego writes mostly about the problems people are causing for the poor (undocumented immigrants).
May 21, 2008
6:21 p.m.
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Lisa80209 writes:
I think its really nice that John and Barbara got married. They are both nice people. I met them a few weeks back in Denver when they were here. They both will be an asset to the community. I hope all the press will stop reporting on everything that they do and where they go. They deserve privacy. A blessing to them both and good luck.
May 21, 2008
6:27 p.m.
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alwaysright writes:
Whoopie more $$$$ for Col.
Like Big deal.
May 21, 2008
10:02 p.m.
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rj1967 writes:
Only an idiot buys something in Colorado for $16 MILLION dollars.
Whats he gonna do with his real estate investment firm? Build some more over priced Cherry hills mansions?? Thanks for helping all those working stiffs who made you a zillionaire.
May 22, 2008
7:08 a.m.
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democrtasrule writes:
Actually I have done reading on John Sundahl in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes Magazine and other magazines. He is 39 years old and gave $55,000,000 to charity every year. I chair one of the charities that pays for kids clothing, food medical care for kids that who's family were killed in Iraq. He is also retired from the land developer company due to serious health reasons that is why he is relocating to Vail. We should welcome this man and wife and at least say welcome home John.
May 22, 2008
12:20 p.m.
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T1anda writes:
The new bride looks kinda bitchy and bored already!! Hmmm!
May 22, 2008
5:24 p.m.
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happymike44 writes:
Well there goes the neighborhood.New wife resembles Britney a little bit.Hope they know how to keep their shoes on after all this is colorado. So glad to see in the article how generous they are to the poor.Maybe he should have increased his employees paychecks due to the gas crunch.Whoops my bad.lol
May 22, 2008
5:46 p.m.
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estespark writes:
I live in both Vail and Estes Park and know both Johnny and Barbara. First to T1andas comment, she is not bored and bitchy, she is a model and that’s a pose you dummy. Barbara has just married a multi-billionaire. Trust me that woman is very much in love with Johnny. He is a true man with a heart of gold and I am glad he is a part of our community. Welcome to them both.
May 22, 2008
9:20 p.m.
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johnson writes:
Bet the new bride is proud of that headline. Great to be known as "MRS. Britney's Ex-beau".
May 22, 2008
9:30 p.m.
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johnson writes:
Posted by estespark: "Barbara has just married a multi-billionaire. Trust me that woman is very much in love with Johnny."....Hell!, I'M very much in love much with Johnny........$$.........Trust me
May 23, 2008
6:56 a.m.
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MRSTTYLER writes:
WOW WHO CARES