Jules Neale has stated her intention to keep her estranged husband Lachie's surname, despite facing negative comments online. Neale, 36, discussed the personal implications of her marriage breakdown on influencer Adelle Petropoulos's podcast, 'Pretty Sure.'
Neale confirmed she had undergone laser removal of a tattoo dedicated to Lachie but will continue to use the surname for the time being. "My most popular troll comment is about keeping my last name," Neale said. "I'm going to keep it for now, I don't know what the future looks like for me, but for now it makes sense to keep it."
The primary reason for retaining the Neale surname, she explained, is its connection to her two children. "And having the same last name as two people [my children] who are the most important people in the world to me means far more to me than the judgement people put on me for keeping it," she added.
Neale's decision echoes that of other public figures, such as Phoebe Burgess and Nadia Bartel, who have also retained their former husbands' surnames post-divorce. Both Burgess and Bartel have publicly cited the desire to share a surname with their children as their motivation.
Marital Breakdown
In the podcast interview, Neale also spoke about the circumstances surrounding the end of her marriage to AFL star Lachie. She alleged that the AFL player had been involved with at least two other women. Neale described discovering an alleged affair with Tess Crosley, her former best friend, as an "awful" experience that led her to question those around her.
Initially, Neale was reportedly informed of a kiss between Lachie and Crosley. However, she later learned this had allegedly developed into a secret four-month relationship. Neale also stated that she had received prior indirect allegations of Lachie's infidelity through an anonymous message, which she referred to as "receipts."
Neale indicated that she had initially stayed in the marriage after the first allegations, believing it to be an isolated incident and wanting to preserve her family unit. However, she stated that the subsequent alleged betrayal made it clear the relationship could not continue, suggesting a pattern of behavior rather than a singular mistake.
She refuted any speculation that her marriage to Lachie, or her relationship with Crosley and her husband Ben, involved an open relationship or swinging. "Definitely not in an open relationship and definitely not swinging," Neale stated. "If we were swinging, I wouldn't have packed up my kids and left over a kiss."
Lachie has not publicly commented on the allegations made by his estranged wife. Tess Crosley is expected to share her account in an upcoming interview.