Former Carlton Football Club president Luke Sayers and his ex-wife Cate have finalized their divorce amidst a high-profile legal battle stemming from a sexually explicit image scandal that affected the Australian Football League (AFL) in early 2025. The dissolution of their marriage occurred shortly after Cate Sayers achieved a significant victory in her defamation lawsuit against her former husband.
Cate Sayers has accused Luke Sayers of defamation, breach of confidence, and invasion of privacy concerning a statutory declaration he submitted while attempting to clear his name. She claims the declaration falsely implicated her in the posting of an explicit photograph of Luke Sayers, portraying her as mentally unstable and untrustworthy. The image was posted to Sayers' X account in January of the previous year, with a senior executive from Carlton sponsor Bupa tagged. Luke Sayers has consistently denied posting the image himself, asserting that his account was compromised. The AFL integrity unit and an independent investigation commissioned by Carlton both cleared Sayers of wrongdoing.
Despite these exonerations, Luke Sayers resigned as Carlton president shortly after the AFL announced its findings, stating, "This decision draws a line in the sand." He had emphasized that he did not post the image, either deliberately or accidentally.
Legal Proceedings Continue
The legal dispute is proceeding in the Supreme Court of Victoria, with Luke Sayers' attempt to shift the case to the Family Court denied by Justice Andrew Watson. Cate Sayers had also sought a jury trial, but her request was reportedly made after Luke Sayers foreshadowed his application to move the case, and the judge noted a lack of explanation for the timing of her request.
Court filings indicate Cate Sayers alleges collusion between the AFL, Carlton, and Luke Sayers to exonerate him. She claims she was falsely blamed for uploading the explicit photograph through the statutory declaration. The couple has reached a negotiated agreement regarding the disclosure of information from the AFL, Carlton Football Club, and other involved parties.
Luke and Cate Sayers have four adult children, two of whom, Bronte and Claudia, have publicly supported their father during the legal proceedings. Bronte Sayers posted an image to Instagram with the message "F**k them all," which her sister Claudia re-shared, adding a caption thanking their father for his support.
A property settlement between the divorced couple is still pending.