Gianni Romano, the Melbourne property lawyer and former My Kitchen Rules contestant, attended the JW Foundation Starry Night gala on Saturday night with a new companion identified as Gracie Stewart, reigniting attention after an awkward on-site reunion with his ex-wife, Zana Pali.
Photographs and social media posts from the event at the National Gallery of Victoria show Romano seated near Pali while posing arm-in-arm with Stewart. The appearance followed reporting that Pali and Romano — who rose to public attention on My Kitchen Rules in 2016 — had separated last year.
Guests at the gala included Riley Allis, the 26-year-old son of Boost Juice founder Janine Ellis, and his date Bec Harb, who were pictured with Romano and Stewart. Herald Sun gossip columnist Jackie Epstein reported that the situation grew "a little awkward" because Stewart is a striking lookalike of Pali.
The two have been seen together on social media for several months. Photos from June show Romano and Stewart at a themed gathering alongside mutual friends, though Stewart posted the group image with Romano cropped out. Romano and Stewart did not respond to requests for comment.
Pali, 34, told reporters by text message this week that she does not speak to Romano and was focusing on her children and new career goals. Romano and Pali share two sons, Leo and Romeo, now six and five. Public records and reporting indicate the couple’s Brighton home — a high‑end property on a well-known Bayside stretch — sold in mid‑2024 for about $10 million.
The couple’s separation became widely discussed in July after signs of strain showed on social media and through changes in travel patterns. Pali was photographed and posted images from a wedding in Montenegro in June while travelling with the children, and the pair reportedly unfollowed each other on Instagram. When approached in person near his Melbourne office last year, Romano declined to discuss the status of his marriage and was not wearing a wedding ring.
Pali has since pursued work in fashion influencing, while Romano has been associated with property law and real estate activity in Melbourne’s Bayside social scene. Both moved in with their sons to the Brighton area several years ago where they became part of a local social set that includes prominent figures in real estate and sport.
The JW Foundation Starry Night gala draws Melbourne society and philanthropic figures to the National Gallery of Victoria; this year’s event attracted a number of local names from the city’s business and social circles. The appearance of Romano and his guest near his former partner at a high‑profile charity event underlined lingering interest in the once‑public relationship.
Reporting traces Romano and Pali’s separation to late 2024 with broader public attention following in mid‑2025. The couple did not publicly discuss details of the split, and neither has issued an extended public statement since the reports surfaced. Representatives for Romano and Stewart did not reply to messages seeking comment prior to publication.