Martine McCutcheon takes brutal swipe at ex Jack McManus in cryptic post about ‘lack of respect’ as she vows to find someone who ‘deserves her’ after he ended their 18-year marriage

Martine McCutcheon brutally lashed out at ex-husband Jack McManus in a cryptic Instagram post on Sunday after he ended their 18-year marriage earlier this year.

The former EastEnders actress, 48, shared an inspiration quote in her Stories ready for the new year, saying only people who ‘respect’ her ‘deserve’ to be in her life in 2025.

Martine, who shares her nine-year-old son Rafferty with her ex, then stated that she would not waste her time with “weird feelings” and would simply move on.

The pointed post, reshared by the star, read: ‘The only people who deserve to be in your life next year are the ones who treat you with love, kindness and respect.’

“If the atmosphere is weird, move on.”

Martine revealed in August that Jack had left her after 18 years together – days after she wrote a heartfelt birthday tribute to him.

It later emerged that the couple had built their £1.5 million home in Surrey was for sale three months earlier, in May.

But after seven months without success in securing a sale, the asking price has been reduced by £250,000, from the original listing of £1.5 million in May to £1.25 million.

Martine and Jack, 40, now appear set to make a loss, having originally bought the property for £1.3million in June 2022.

The decision to lower the price comes just a week after Martine appeared to take a swipe at her ex in a series of cryptic Instagram posts.

Last month, Martine shared a series of quotes on her Stories, captioning one by promising to “keep the faith and look forward” in the wake of her marriage breakdown.

In a pointed post, Martine reshared a quote that read: “Sometimes healing means telling people to fuck off,” with the caption: “Absobloodylutely!”

She then shared a poem that read, “And all this time you thought you were falling apart, you didn’t realize you were putting yourself back together.”

She also wrote: ‘For everyone who needs this, keep the faith. Look forward – not back… and smile… you will be okay… Maybe even better than okay.”

Martine announced the news of her split in a statement which said: ‘After much thought and consideration, Jack has decided that it is best for us to part ways after 18 years together and I accept his decision.

“We are both so blessed and grateful for our beautiful nine-year-old son, Rafferty [sic] Happiness and well-being have always been and will continue to be our first priority.

‘We both still cherish and look forward to being parents to our wonderful boy for the rest of our lives…’

“While this decision has evolved over time, as a family we are still finding our new path forward and kindly ask for some privacy at this time… especially for our little boy.”

She continued: “Our love for Rafferty is something that will never waver or change and we obviously want to protect him and help him feel as safe as possible.

‘Thank you in advance for your respect and support during this difficult time… and I continue to send Jack all the love, happiness and happiness for his next chapter.

‘Rafferty and I are rooting for you (as always)!

‘Thank you all, for the love and support, now and always…Martine xx.’

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline at the time of Martine’s statement, Jack had said: ‘There’s nothing more to add. I’m not going to say anything further about this.’

The couple married in Italy’s picturesque Lake Como in 2012, five years after they started dating.

Martine later explained that she had previously felt pressured to meet the standards of others and was now much happier saying ‘no’ and being herself.

In the podcast The Showercast, Martine said: ‘I was always enough, I was always kind, I didn’t have to be all those things I thought I had to be.

“I definitely think everyone thinks their version of you is the right version of you and that’s not just something that happens when you’re famous or in the public eye. It can happen within families.’

The star went on to explain that she felt shaped by other people’s expectations and was previously labeled as “difficult.”

She said, “They can project onto you that you’re the difficult one, or that you’re the black sheep of the family, or that you’re the star, or that you’re the one who holds everything together.

“And I would tell myself and everyone I loved that you are more than anyone else’s projections, all the lazy labels.

“That may be their favorite part of you or their favorite version of you, but you are more than one thing.

‘You are complex, you are complicated, you are multi-faceted and you owe it to yourself to be completely yourself, no excuses.’