Jessica Ingham, heiress to the Ingham’s Chicken family fortune, has broken her silence after splitting from husband Roger Zraika – as rumours swirl that he has already moved on with a prominent Sydney woman.
The 36-year-old – who has declined to officially comment on the end of her second marriage – appeared to address the break-up in an Instagram post on Wednesday that was later deleted or expired.
In her post, the twice-married socialite sent a clear message about her healing journey and the importance of friends, who she suggested were her true ‘soulmates’.
‘I used to think soulmates had to be romantic. Now I know they’re the friends who never let me go through life alone,’ she wrote on Wednesday alongside a clip from the movie The First Wives Club.
That 1996 comedy film, starring Goldie Hawn, centres on the friendship between three middle-aged divorcées who band together to get even with their ex-husbands.
And just like the movie, Jessica had a shoulder to cry on days later when we pictured her in Woolloomooloo with her publicist friend Theana Spartalis on Saturday.
Jessica Ingham, 36, put on a brave face as she stepped out in Sydney’s Woolloomooloo on Saturday – days after we exclusively reported her split from second husband Roger Zraika
The 36-year-old socialite – granddaughter of the late poultry producer and racehorse owner Jack Ingham – was joined by her publicist friend Theana Spartalis (left)
On Friday, Daily Mail’s Lucy Manly reported that Roger (above, with Jess on their Port Douglas holiday in March 2021) had found love with a well-known local identity from a famous family
Jessica – who has declined to officially comment on the end of her second marriage – appeared to address the break-up in an Instagram post on Wednesday that was later deleted or expired
With her $40,000 wedding ring nowhere in sight, the glamorous granddaughter of the late poultry producer and racehorse owner Jack Ingham put on a brave face as she grabbed coffee with Theana and went for a stroll.
She looked effortlessly chic – but noticeably subdued – in a black button-down parka, T-shirt, shorts, sneakers and designer sunglasses.
Jess even managed a smile – and a few giggles – as she chatted with her pal, no small feat given the whispers her estranged husband already has a new girlfriend.
On Friday, Daily Mail’s Lucy Manly reported that Roger – who shares a two-year-old son with Jess – had found love with a well-known local identity from a famous family.
The woman has been trying to keep her romance with Roger out of the public eye, even engaging a lawyer to protect her reputation after enquiries were made about her relationship status.
Whispers of a rift between Jess and Roger began swirling after the mother-of-two didn’t post about her husband on Father’s Day.
Two sources later confirmed to the Daily Mail that the pair had ‘amicably separated’.
Jess has since wiped almost all traces of her ex from social media.
Jessica’s $40,000 wedding ring was nowhere in sight as she grabbed coffee on the weekend
She looked effortlessly chic – but noticeably subdued – in a black button-down parka, T-shirt, shorts, sneakers and designer sunglasses
Jess even managed a smile – and a few giggles – as she chatted with Theana, no small feat given reports her estranged husband already has a new girlfriend
Roger’s new love has been trying to keep their romance out of the public eye, even engaging a lawyer to protect her reputation after enquiries were made about her relationship status
The split brought down the curtain on another headline-making romance for Jessica, whose love life has long fascinated Sydney’s social set.
The pair wed in typically extravagant fashion in 2021, after four years of dating.
The bride and her daughter wore matching Vera Wang gowns for the ceremony at The Mint on Macquarie Street, which was followed by a champagne-fuelled dinner party at Merivale’s Establishment.
Roger had proposed at Jess’s waterfront penthouse surrounded by 1,200 red Ecuadorian roses, a glowing ‘Marry Me’ sign, and heart-shaped balloons.
He dropped to one knee presenting a $40k diamond sparkler from jeweller-to-the-stars Nicholas Haywood.
Even Jess’s little girl from her previous marriage received a matching miniature ring.
It was the second trip down the aisle for Jess, whose first marriage to Alex Macris was even more lavish.
That 2013 Great Gatsby-themed wedding reportedly cost more than $500,000 and featured a heavily fortified marquee on Bennelong Lawn, near the Opera House, complete with 45 crystal chandeliers and a fireworks display over Sydney Harbour.
Whispers of a rift between Jess and Roger began swirling after the mother-of-two didn’t post about her husband on Father’s Day
A bikini-clad Jess is seen with Roger on their honeymoon in Port Douglas in March 2021, a week after they married in Sydney
The Macris name, of course, carries its own notoriety. Alex’s brother John Macris, described in the media as an underworld figure, was gunned down in Athens in 2018.
Despite that family drama, the Ingham dynasty remains firmly associated with wealth, horse racing and old money.
Jack and Bob Ingham founded their poultry empire in the 1950s, turning it into Australia’s largest chicken producer before selling it in 2013 for about $1billion.
The brothers also left their mark on the racing world, breeding champions including Octagonal and Lonhro, and donating millions to charity.
Meanwhile, matriarch Sue Ingham – Jessica’s mother – has made headlines for her property moves of late.
The elegant socialite offloaded her Darling Point mansion last year after listing it for $18million.
She ‘downsized’ to a $12.5million four-bedroom apartment in Double Bay’s Encore Residences.
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