For weeks, former AFL golden couple Lachie and Jules Neale endured the glare of public scrutiny after she went public with his ‘unimaginable’ betrayal.
The other couple in the saga – Tess and Ben Crosley – seemed to fade into the background as Lachie stepped forward to relinquish his co-captaincy of the Brisbane Lions last Friday and Jules packed her bags and moved to WA with their children.
But now, the focus is squarely back on the Crosleys as rumours continue to swirl that their marriage may not withstand Jules’s public accusation that Tess played a central role in her break-up.
In the aftermath of Jules speaking out, the Mormon couple were seen together living under the same roof in Camp Hill, Brisbane. Now, it appears that Ben has travelled to Bali with friends while his wife remains in Queensland.
In the surest sign yet that the pressure is getting to the pair, who married in 2017, Tess was seen grabbing lunch solo on Tuesday – without her wedding ring.
A former missionary for the LDS Church, she was pictured grabbing sushi, an iced coffee and a bag of grapes while clad in a white tank top and navy trackpants.
Tess Crosley, the former friend of AFL WAG Jules Neale, cut a downcast figure on Tuesday
A former missionary for the LDS Church, she was pictured grabbing sushi, an iced coffee and a bag of grapes while clad in a white tank top and navy trackpantsÂ
She completed her look with several items of jewellery, white sneakers and a pair of gold-framed sunglasses – and was, once again, not wearing her wedding ring
She completed her look with several items of jewellery, white sneakers and a pair of gold-framed sunglasses.Â
It wasn’t the first time Tess had been pictured without her ring since she was implicated in the Neales’ marriage breakdown. She had been spied without it last week while on the Gold Coast with her son.
Yesterday, the Mail reported that Ben Crosley appeared to have travelled to Bali with several of his friends.
He was photographed at the Bambu Fitness Centre in Uluwatu, after completing a fitness session with friends Tom Bennallack and Seth Mutton.Â
The finance director, who works for the Hong Kong-based New Heritage Investment company, smiled for a shirtless photo with his two friends after a workout, with Bennallack sharing the photo on Instagram.Â
Bennallack also tagged Crosley and Mutton in two other posts, showing a group completing a series of high-intensity workouts in the gym.
The Crosleys’ social media accounts suggest they were once close friends with the Neales. They were often pictured together – most notably when they celebrated the Lions’ most recent premiership win at the AFL grand final.
That friendship – and the Neales’ marriage – is now over after Jules accused Lachie of a ‘betrayal’ and went on to implicate Tess by demanding she take down photos from Instagram showing her with Lachie. Â
Tess’s husband Ben Crosley (left) was pictured on Tuesday working out in Bali. He was seen at the Bambu Fitness Centre in Uluwatu with friends Tom Bennallack and Seth Mutton
In the aftermath of Jules speaking out, the Mormon couple were seen together living under the same roof in Camp Hill, Brisbane
Tess is yet to make any public comment about the scandal that has surrounded her for weeksÂ
‘Take these down, you idiot, you’re embarrassing yourself,’ she wrote in a now-deleted comment on December 22.
The drama culminated on Friday when Lachie, a two–time Brownlow Medallist, announced he would be stepping down as Brisbane Lions co-captain while confirming his split from Jules.
‘While I won’t go into specifics, I can say that I have let my family down and I apologise for my actions that have let down those who are closest to me. And for that I am deeply sorry,’ he said.
‘I accept the consequences of my actions, and I need to focus on rebuilding that trust with Jules as the future wellbeing of our children remains our number one priority.’
Neale, who shares two children, Piper and Freddie, with Jules, added that he had ‘regrets’ about his personal life.
But when asked whether he had cheated on his wife, he said: ‘No, I cannot address those rumours.’
The drama culminated on Friday when Lachie, a two–time Brownlow Medallist, announced he would be stepping down as Brisbane Lions co-captain while confirming his split from JulesÂ
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