Tinsley Randolph Mortimer is a Manhattan socialite and star of the CW network’s High Society reality television show. After becoming a darling of society photographer, Patrick McMullan, Tinsley Mortimer has become one of the most well known faces of the New York City social circuit. She has since parlayed this into designing a line of handbags for Japanese brand Samantha Thavasa and in 2007 she was hired by Dior as its “U.S. Beauty Ambassador”.
Tinsley hails from Richmond Virginia, and claims to trace her family tree back to Thomas Jefferson. She moved to New Jersey to attend high school at The Lawrenceville School, a prestigious boarding school. There she met her future husband Robert Livingston Mortimer known as Topper Mortimer. After high school she matriculated to the University of North Carolina before later transferring to Columbia University from where she graduated in 1998.
Upon graduation she worked for a brief stint as an assistant at Vogue Magazine. Thereafter she enrolled at Parsons The New School For Design (Parsons), however, dropped out after four months. She subsequently worked for the PR firm Harrison & Shriftman before marrying her longtime high school sweetheart Topper Mortimer in 2002. Previously they had married in Florida at the age of 18; however, their parents forced them to annul the vows immediately. After six years of marriage, the high school sweethearts have since “divorced” in 2008, however, they have not legally separated or filed for divorce. Topper Mortimer was rarely seen in front of a camera during their relationship, choosing to eschew the limelight.
Since separating, Tinsley was first publicly seen with new beau Prince Casimir Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn at a Cartier Polo match in August of 2009. More recently she has been linked to Constantine Maroulis who was a former American Idol contestant turned Broadway star, however, it is unclear if their relationship is fictional resulting from the High Society show.
No stranger to New York gossip rags, Tinsley’s highly vaunted society background was challenged in 2006 when her father George R. Mercer Jr. was described as a rug salesman. The accusation stemmed from his ownership of the Mercer Rug and Carpet Sales Inc. Tinsley rebutted the story, stating that it was one of many businesses her father owned and operated. In May of 2007 it was reported that Tinsley had physically bumped into budding socialite Olivia Palermo on purpose. Tinsley denied the claims saying that she had never come into contact with Palermo. It was a classic clash of old guard meets new guard, and both have subsequently managed to continue their exposure with their respective reality shows, Palermo starring on The Hills spin off title The City, and Mortimer of course starring in High Society.
Tinsley can often be seen photographed with her sister Dabney Mercer who can also be found out and about on the Manhattan party circuit. Together Tinsley and Dabney Mercer both star alongside other notables such as Malik So Chic and Jules Kirby in High Society. The show has since secured a second season, with Malik so Chic and Jules Kirby to star again.
