Welcome to The Group Chat with Lucy Manly, where Australia’s most trusted society insider shares the hottest gossip BEFORE it makes the news.
Max makes a graceful exit
All signs point to Splitsville for activist tamed grace and her fiancé Max Heerey.
The former Australian of the Year, 30, is understood to have quietly split from Heerey, a financier turned gardener, sometime last year.
Which is fine, couples break up all the time, but the strange thing about this particular breakup is that neither of them are willing to state what has now become blindingly obvious.
The once inseparable duo have not been photographed together in months, nor have they appeared on each other’s very active social media accounts.
All signs point to Splitsville for activist and former Australian of the Year Grace Tame and her fiancé Max Heerey. They appear together at an SBS premiere in Sydney on April 17, 2023.
Heerey used to work for his future wife at the Grace Tame Foundation, but quit to start a philanthropic lawn mowing business. He is now a mortgage broker.
He spent the summer surrounded by a group of blonde friends, and Tame was nowhere to be seen. He also flew to Europe for a guys trip last August, again without Tame.
The couple, both fitness fanatics, met through the running and cycling app Strava and began dating in 2020. Their romance followed their brief marriage in the United States that ended in divorce.
Yes, you read that right. Tame was married before and to a celebrity. Her first husband was the former American child star. Spencer Breslinof ‘The Cat in the Hat’ fame, who is also the actress’ older brother. Abigail Breslin.
They married in 2017 in an Elvis-themed ceremony (Breslin was Elvis, Tame was Priscilla), but ended their marriage soon after and Tame returned to Tasmania, where she would later meet Heerey.
Fast forward to January 2022, and her hunky new boyfriend popped the question during a scenic bike ride. An excited Tame couldn’t wait to share the happy news with her social media followers.
“I will love you forever and ever, angel man,” she captioned a photo showing a unique sapphire engagement ring as Heerey kissed her head.
Another image showed the moment Heerey got down on one knee while an excited Tame said yes, both with their bike helmets still on.
The couple, both fitness fanatics, met through the running and cycling app Strava and began dating in 2020. They appear here at the Australian Open at Melbourne Park in early 2022.
It’s not well known, but Tame was married before… to a celebrity. Her first husband was former American child star Spencer Breslin (right), famous for ‘The Cat in the Hat’.
So…what went wrong? I don’t have the answers yet, but it’s worth mentioning that something interesting happened while I was preparing this story.
After reaching out to Heerey for comment, I received a ping on my phone alerting me that Tame had requested to follow my Instagram.
Now, I can’t say for sure what that means, but it seems like there’s some strategy going on behind the scenes of the breakup.
But for now neither of them says a word. Heerey declined to comment and Tame did not respond at the time of publication.
Campbell Brown bets about friendship after the breakup of marriage
Sport and betting go hand in hand, so it’s no surprise to see a former top-level soccer player cohabiting beautifully with a high-ranking employee of a major online betting house.
In fact, several people have told me lately about the friendship between the AFL legend turned sports pundit. Campbell Brown and Cristina Ruiza rising star at Sportsbet.
Brown was photographed taking a walk on Christmas Eve with Ruiz dressed in sports gear, but we were quickly informed that they were friends and nothing more. We do not suggest otherwise.
Campbell Brown was photographed taking a stroll on Christmas Eve with Sportsbet staff member Christina Ruiz, but we were quickly informed that they were friends and nothing more.
In September, the couple (in a circle) enjoyed dinner among other punting enthusiasts at The Botanical in South Yarra, where they both live.
The 31-year-old is general manager of commercial content at Sportsbet, a job that likely brought her into Brown’s orbit.
It turns out that the two live in the same apartment complex in South Yarra, a fair distance from Brown’s former marital home at Kangaroo Grounds, where he keeps retired racehorses..
The group chat hears unconfirmed rumors that Ruiz called off her engagement to a long-term partner last year. There is no suggestion that his friendship with Brown played any role in that alleged breakup.
Meanwhile, Brown, an AFL and horse racing commentator with SEN and Seven, separated from his wife. Jessica Johnson six weeks after they celebrated the birth of their third child, Bailey, in August 2023.
It was later reported that Brown had told his wife that he had “fallen in love” with her.
The childhood sweethearts had been together for 19 years and married for ten. Jessica was apparently “devastated” and “shocked” by the breakup.
“It’s all so raw and came out of nowhere,” a source told the Herald Sun at the time.
The Hawthorn premiership winner split from his wife of 10 years, Jessica Johnson (pictured together), in August last year, shortly after she gave birth to their third child.
Last year, Brown was rumored to have been involved with Grace Hayden (pictured), the TV star daughter of cricket legend Matt Hayden.
After his separation from his wife, Brown began dating Grace HaydenTV star daughter of cricket legend Matthew Hayden. There is no suggestion that Mrs Hayden was involved in the breakdown of Brown’s marriage..
Hayden, 21 at the time, was photographed dancing with Brown in November 2023 while they were ambassadors for the Ladbrokes Summer Racing Festival in Tasmania..
Brown and Hayden were represented by TLA Worldwide, a leading talent and marketing agency that connects sports names with brands and fans.
Neither man commented at the time, but The Group Chat was reliably informed. Papa Hayden was unimpressed by the romance and quickly shut it down.
Representatives for Ruiz and Brown have been contacted for comment.
And finally…guess who, don’t sue
Which glamorous businessman has been house-hopping and having fun during the summer holidays in the Wunulla Road shopping area in Point Piper, one of the most expensive streets in the country?
After recently separating from her husband, this entrepreneurial bombshell finds herself couch surfing in other entrepreneurs’ luxurious homes while trying to find her forever home.
We hear she’s ruffling some societal feathers in the process.
The wealthy eastern peninsula is no stranger to strident matrons and socialites, but residents hope the incessant late-night comings and goings will calm down now that we’re a week away from the New Year.