The family of Australian actress and pop star Holly Valance has spoken out after she was seen kissing her former bodyguard following her split from billionaire husband Nick Candy.
Separation and New Romance
Valance, 42, separated from Candy, 52, last June after 13 years of marriage. She was recently seen holding hands with former soldier Grant Gale, 34, who once worked for Candy as a bodyguard for his family.
In a rare emotional message, Holly's stepmother Kim, who is married to her father Ryko Valance, appeared to defend the actress and expressed a desire to 'hug her'.
'Those who know me know I rarely share anything publicly about my family but, quite frankly, I do look forward to the actual truth being told, if it ever happens,' Kim said in a lengthy social media post. 'When I was in London recently, my heart completely broke at the emotional pain caused to my stepdaughter.'
Kim added: 'I've known this incredible soul since she was 9-years-old. I've watched her evolve through the years into a woman, a faithful and incredible wife, a devoted and adoring mother, a thoughtful and kind big sister.'
Public Sightings
Valance was seen on two separate occasions with ex-military man Gale, from South Wales, who previously worked at the sprawling Chelsea mansion she shared with property tycoon Candy. The pair were seen strolling through a park before sitting down for a chat on a bench, where Gale rested his arm around the mother-of-two before draping his jacket over her shoulders.
Valance first met Candy in 2009, and he proposed two years later. They married in 2012 in a $5 million California ceremony in front of 300 guests, including Simon Cowell.
Reinvention and Political Shift
Valance, who shot to fame in the late Nineties as Flick Scully on Neighbours, has attracted attention over the past year after entering a dramatically different phase of her life. Since the separation, she has undergone a public reinvention, stepping away from her entertainment career and re-emerging as a vocal political figure.
Valance has thrown her support behind Reform UK and aligned herself with a number of right-wing commentators, drawing both support and backlash for her views. She has previously said she left Australia because it had 'gone big on woke stuff'.
Ex-Husband's Moves
Meanwhile, her former husband has also made headlines following their split. Candy recently secured one of the largest property deals in history, selling the couple's Chelsea mansion for $518 million. The mansion had been the centrepiece of the couple's life together during their marriage, making its sale a symbolic end to their relationship.
Despite the divorce, both Valance and Candy have remained linked through business interests tied to the property, although it is unclear how the proceeds of the sale have been divided. Candy has also reportedly moved on in his private life. Since September, he has been dating a 33-year-old Swedish socialite named Camilla.
