Candice Warner, the wife of former Australian cricket captain David Warner, has revealed she seriously contemplated taking her own life following the intense public fallout from her 2007 encounter with rugby star Sonny Bill Williams.
The Incident and Its Aftermath
The now 40-year-old, a former Ironwoman state champion, was photographed in an intimate moment with the former New Zealand rugby international in a public toilet. This occurred long before her marriage to David Warner in 2015.
Candice described facing relentless "slut-shaming" comments and public ridicule so severe that it drove her to the brink. Speaking on the Mental As Anyone podcast in April, she confessed, "I definitely contemplated suicide many times."
"I remember driving to The Gap and pulling over and just thinking there's no way out," she revealed. "I felt like there was no escape. I was ashamed, I was embarrassed. I was publicly humiliated."
A Lifeline and Moving Forward
A critical phone call with her brother ultimately saved her. "I called my brother," she shared. "He sort of talked me, not talked me out of it, but he just definitely said, 'I'm coming to get you, don't do anything stupid.'"
Appearing on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2024, Candice further elaborated on the trauma she endured as a 22-year-old. "I make one silly mistake as a young girl and that was it," she stated, highlighting the disproportionate backlash.
She recalled the hurt and pain caused to her family by the media coverage, calling it "the hardest period of my life in just how relentless it was." The online bullying and public scrutiny became so overwhelming that her family relocated to Perth for a respite.
Life After the Scandal
Today, Candice Warner has built a new life far removed from the 2007 scandal. She and David Warner, married since 2015, are parents to three daughters: Ivy, Indi, and Isla.
While acknowledging the difficulties of public life, Candice expressed contentment with the family they have created. She admitted to the Daily Mail Australia that while a quieter life would be appealing, there is little she would change.
Sonny Bill Williams has also moved on from the incident and has since pursued a career in boxing.
