Vikki Campion, wife of former Australian Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, has spoken publicly about her severe mental health struggles during the 2018 political scandal that engulfed their relationship. Campion revealed on ABC's Australian Story that she experienced suicidal thoughts and debilitating postpartum depression in the wake of intense public scrutiny.
"When Malcolm Turnbull did the press conference, I was suicidal and he had no idea about my side of the story," Campion stated, referring to a press conference by the then Prime Minister that criticized Joyce. She described feeling "completely and utterly broken" during this period, adding, "I think the only time I was happy over that period was when I had a solid plan to end it all."
The scandal, which involved controversy over their relationship and sexual harassment allegations against Joyce, led to his resignation as Nationals leader and deputy prime minister in February 2018. Joyce has publicly refuted the harassment claims, stating, "Of all the things in my career, the one that really gets under my skin is the allegation of some sort of molestation by me because it is not the truth." An eight-month investigation by the Nationals subsequently concluded without a finding against Joyce.
Campion detailed the isolation and distress she experienced as a new mother amidst the political and media storm. "I had very bad postpartum depression," she said. "It was very isolating, I was very alone."
To escape the intense attention, Campion moved to the rural town of Woolbrook in New South Wales, seeking a secluded environment. "I was happy to basically move off the grid," she recalled, "I was really looking for something which was secluded enough to get away from the chaos."
The couple, who now live in Woolbrook with their two sons, found privacy and security in their rural setting. Joyce later returned to his leadership roles in 2021, aiming to "redeem" himself, but his comeback concluded after the Coalition's defeat in the 2022 election. Campion noted that while she accepted the leadership change at the time, she felt Joyce was subsequently "frozen out" and "ostracised" within the party. Joyce acknowledged his own role in the tensions, admitting, "I was getting angry and saying things and doing things I shouldn't have been doing, so I'm not pure on this one."