Jimmy Choo feud: Tamara sticks boot in on mother with £5m action

They say that a foxy pair of heels can give a woman a lot of confidence. It therefore makes sense that Tamara Mellon, the entrepreneur behind Jimmy Choo shoes, has confidence in spades. It showed when she divorced her husband, the Pittsburgh banking heir Matthew Taylor Mellon III, in 2005. It showed again a year ago when she took him to court, accused of hacking into her computer. He was released on the grounds that he was too stupid to have done it – he must have been wearing something scuffed from Clark's. It showed, too, when she named her daughter Araminta Mellon, which some recall as a 1970s dessert.

Now the one feeling the sharp end of those killer heels is Ms Mellon's mother, Ann Yeardye. Last week, Tamara filed a £5m lawsuit against her, claiming she is hanging on to a significant amount of stock from the sale of Jimmy Choo in 2004 that should rightfully belong to Tamara and Araminta. The pair have not spoken since this apparent misunderstanding occurred. The family feud continues through lawyers. "I am baffled by my mother's refusal to return assets which rightfully do not belong to her," said Mellon, through hers. Her mum's replied: "Mrs Yeardye is very disappointed. This is a family matter that could and should have been resolved privately."

The boots are made for walking, and that's just what they'll do. And these days Tamara Mellon's boots are walking all over everyone.