Nadia Bartel’s messy marriage split with football star Jimmy Bartel just got more bizarre, with one of the women linked to the breakup – socialite Lauren Mand – reportedly firmly believing that she has permanently hooked the sportsman, despite a string of other women rumoured to also be involved.
Amid Nadia’s friends speaking of a looming text message storm involving ‘a lot’ of other people, Lauren apparently believes she is the one for Jimmy, who she sees as her ‘life partner.’
EXCLUSIVE: Jimmy Bartel seen publicly for first time after marriage breakup
‘Lauren thinks they will be together forever,’ one of her friends told the Daily Mail.
‘She is convinced, after all this, that Jimmy is going to be her life partner.’
The Herald Sun earlier this week reported that Lauren has ‘long been referring to Jimmy as her boyfriend’, even though he has until recently been presenting as happily married to Nadia. The recently bitterly estranged couple have two young children together.
It is unknown what Lauren makes of recent reports also linking Jimmy to The Project producer Sharyn Hart, who has labelled reports of a fling as ‘factually incorrect’.
And there may be even more women about to become part of the increasingly torrid drama.
According to the Herald Sun’s Page 13, Nadia is cringing at the thought that more sordid details are about to hit the fan.
‘As is oft the case with a messy split with other parties involved, Nadia’s friends are fuming for their bestie and looking for blood,’ the paper reports.
‘Gobsmacked at what they call a horrible betrayal, they have told Page 13 Nadia is bracing herself for even more women to emerge.’
‘One friend whispered into Page 13’s ear that [Lauren] was one of many.
‘There were a number of texts from different people, and when we say a number, we mean A LOT.’
In the past, Lauren has also been linked to St Kilda players Jason Gram and Sam Fisher and is friends with Shane Warne on Facebook.
A devastated Nadia Bartel put on a brave face as she made her first public appearance following her split from husband Jimmy Bartel at an engagement promoting women on Wednesday in Melbourne.
The influencer took to the stage where she spoke about how ‘time poor’ she is as she alluded to raising their two boys as a single mum.
‘For me, I am so passionate about what I do and that is what I love,’ the clothing entrepreneur said on a panel in front of the entire room.
‘I want my children to look up to that to know that mum did something she is passionate about.
‘It’s setting goals and putting things in place because when you have children you are so time poor as well.’
Whether her husband Jimmy’s own ‘passions’ will bring more drama for the family remains to be seen.