Beauty industry pioneer Shelley Sullivan looked emotional as she was comforted by her mother on Monday following her abrupt divorce from her husband Anthony.
MCoBeauty founder Ms. Sullivan and her husband of seven years separated ways two weeks ago after an explosive argument.
The bitter fight prompted Mr Sullivan to leave the country for the US, while his wife moved into the five-star InterContinental Hotel in Double Bay.
Shelley was spotted in Sydney’s financial district being comforted by her mother
The couple abruptly split two weeks ago, with both the beauty mogul and her accountant husband leaving their marital home in Bellevue Hill.
On Monday the devastated mother-of-two was comforted by her mother Kerrie in Sydney’s financial district, where her multi-million dollar business is based.
The couple looked visibly sad as they shared a tender moment amid her marital breakdown.
Ms Sullivan told Ny Breaking Australia she would not comment on her split.
“Shelley is absolutely devastated by the split,” a close friend told Ny Breaking Australia.
‘Anthony was her rock, she is devastated – her marriage was everything to her.’
The businesswoman’s close group of friends are doing their best to support her in dealing with the breakup.
“She has a great network that has their arms around her at this time.”
The pair appeared visibly saddened as they shared a tender moment between mother and daughter amid her marital breakdown.
The pair had a serious conversation before embracing
Shelley Sullivan and her husband Anthony are pictured on their wedding day seven years ago
Mr. Sullivan is an accountant and CEO of Quantaco, which provides financial services to companies in the hospitality industry.
The couple had known each other for years and were friends before they started dating and then tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in Point Piper in 2016.
The couple have since moved from their $11,000-a-week Grade II listed rental home Leura in Bellevue Hill.
Ms Sullivan made a name for herself in the 1990s with her modeling and talent agency before launching her thriving ‘masstige’ beauty brand ModelCo in 2016.
Masstige is a retail term that refers to a product that is marketed as ‘prestige’ or premium, but is in fact mass-produced and cheap.
The beauty boss launched her brand’s Tan Airbrush In a Can more than two decades ago and a bottle is still sold every 36 seconds worldwide.
She is also credited with introducing the world’s first heated eyelash curlers.
ModelCo has overtaken older beauty brands such as L’Oréal, Maybelline and Rimmel in the Australian market.
Kendall Jenner, Hailey Baldwin, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Elyse Knowles have represented the internationally renowned line.
In 2022, MCoBeauty was approached by a large Australian conglomerate who acquired part of the company.
The brand is on track to generate $247 million in fiscal 2024.
The couple lived in the heritage-listed Leura mansion in Sydney’s eastern suburbs
Ms. Sullivan now calls the famed hotspot Intercontinental Double Bay home
The couple abruptly split two weeks ago, with both the beauty mogul and her accountant husband leaving their marital home in Bellevue Hill.
Despite the problems at home, Ms. Sullivan remains focused on her work, her friend said.
“As her business goes from strength to strength, she is throwing herself into her work,” the friend told Ny Breaking Australia.
“In true Shelley style, she didn’t miss a beat. ‘
It is not known whether a third party is involved in the breakup.
Ms. Sullivan recently fell out with former close friend and eyebrow artist Kristin Fisher, who was noticeably absent from the beauty mogul’s 50th birthday party last July.
Ms. Sullivan vouched for Ms. Fisher’s character after she was caught with cocaine at her feet in a teenage drug dealer’s car in 2021.
The 50-year-old gave a character reference at Ms Fisher’s subsequent hearing and said she would support her friend regardless of the conviction.
A friend close to Mr Sullivan told Ny Breaking Australia they hoped the couple would reconcile.
‘Shelley is such a generous, kind person, this couldn’t happen to a nicer girl and I hope they work it out together.