Former Friend Poses Poolside as Marriage Drama Unfolds
Tess Crosley, the former friend of AFL star Lachie Neale and his wife Jules, has appeared to maintain a calm demeanour over the festive period despite finding herself at the centre of the couple's very public marriage breakdown. The former Mormon missionary took to her Instagram Story on Boxing Day to share a serene poolside photo, reclining in a skimpy brown bikini and a straw cowboy hat.
This followed a relaxed Christmas Day spent with family and friends. Crosley also posted another image to her main Instagram grid, posing in a bathroom mirror in a revealing G-string bikini, captioning it simply with 'This' and a heart hands emoji. Possibly anticipating criticism, she disabled comments on the post.
The Roots of a Public Rift
The drama stems from the recent and acrimonious separation of Brisbane Lions premiership player Lachie Neale and his wife, influencer Jules Neale. In a remarkable public statement, Jules denied reports the couple were reconciling, alleging she had been 'betrayed in the most unimaginable way'. She subsequently deleted all photos of Lachie from her Instagram account.
The fallout extended to Tess Crosley, with Jules launching a public attack on her former friend's social media. Jules demanded Crosley remove Instagram photos from the Brisbane Lions' grand final celebrations, commenting: 'Take these down, you idiot, you're embarrassing yourself.' The comment was later deleted and the two women no longer follow each other online.
From Best Friends to Fallout
The speed of the breakdown is highlighted by social media posts from just months ago. In November, photos showed Tess and Jules, along with their respective partners and children, enjoying a seemingly happy coastal getaway. A TikTok video from June, captioned 'Four best friends', featured the two couples performing a popular skit about hoping their husbands get along.
Jules Neale, 35, and Lachie Neale share two children: four-year-old daughter Piper and son Freddie, who was born in December 2024. Neither Tess Crosley nor the Neales have made further public comment on the situation. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Tess Crosley.
