Georgia Love enjoyed an evening out in Melbourne with a male friend on Wednesday, posting photos to social media that showed the former Bachelorette posing affectionately with Samuel Murphy six months after she confirmed her separation from husband Lee Elliot.
The 35-year-old radio host shared images from a dinner at a restaurant in Collingwood in which she and Murphy were dressed formally. In one image the pair posed on a stairwell, with Murphy wrapping an arm around Love as she smiled; Love added the caption "ILY" on the post. She later posted a Story showing Murphy wearing a bow tie and joked, "When your friend tells you to dress up for dinner." A photo from the table showed a single red rose set in a glass vase.
Love wore a blue-and-brown floral-print, figure-hugging dress paired with brown leather ankle boots, while Murphy appeared in a designer tuxedo. The images were shared to Love's followers as part of a series of posts since the public announcement of her separation from Elliot in February.
Since confirming the split, Love has made several public appearances and posted moments from her private life to social media. She attended the opening night of Cirque du Soleil's Corteo in Melbourne last month and shared an outfit photo from the event. Around the time of her 35th birthday she posted a photograph with three male friends, captioning the image with a tribute to her "men." Earlier this year she posted a photo with Abir Ahmed, a childhood friend she has described as a soulmate, writing, "Who says a soulmate has to be romantic?" The two recently travelled to the Caribbean together.
Love and Elliot met during the 2016 season of The Bachelorette Australia. The couple were together for nine years, including four years of marriage, before announcing their split in February. In a joint statement at the time they said, "After nine wonderful years together, including four as husband and wife, we have made the difficult decision to part ways. Our relationship has been so special and we will always cherish the memories, love, and laughter we've shared. We remain friends and we'd really appreciate our privacy as we navigate this next stage. Thank you."
Reports and social media activity had already prompted public speculation for months: the couple spent the previous Christmas apart, Love travelled to New York without Elliot, and both were seen at times without their wedding bands. Neither Love nor Elliot has provided further public comment about their personal arrangements since the February statement, and the couple asked for privacy as they move forward.
Representatives for Love and Elliot did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment on Wednesday night. The social media posts from Love offered insight into her post-separation social life but did not indicate any change in her public statement requesting privacy as both parties adjust to the next stage of their lives.