The REAL reason Samantha Armytage and husband Richard Lavender’s picture-perfect marriage ended
The real reason behind Samantha Armytage and husband Richard Lavender’s shock split has been revealed.
The TV presenter, 48, and the equestrian businessman, 61, have gone their separate ways on the eve of their four-year wedding anniversary.
And according to News Corpthe reason behind the split was tension between Armytage and Lavender’s children.
Lavender has two children, Grace and Sasha, from his previous marriage to ex-wife Kate Lavender.
And a source close to the businessman claims Armytage’s relationship with Lavender’s two adult daughters was a major reason for the split.
The unnamed source’s claims are seemingly supported by the fact that Grace and Sasha are no longer following Armytage on Instagram, with the former couple still following each other on the social media platform.
The real reason behind Samantha Armytage and husband Richard Lavender’s shock split has been revealed
In 2019, less than a year before Armytage and Lavender tied the knot, a source revealed to Women’s Day that Lavender’s daughters got on well with the freshly minted Channel Nine star.
‘[The girls] I don’t mind Sam, but they don’t spend much time with their dad these days,” the insider claimed.
The couple’s shock split was meant to be leaked to a Sydney newspaper on Friday, but sources confirmed the news in advance to Daily Mail Australia.
‘Yes, Richard and I have broken up. All separations are difficult, but it is somewhat mitigated by the fact that it is amicable and we wish the best for each other,” Armytage told the media late Thursday evening.
‘I appreciate you respecting our privacy. I will make no further comment.”
It is understood that Armytage’s TV presenter friends have been comforting the 48-year-old TV star behind the scenes for some time now.
It is understood she has moved out of Lavender’s home in the Southern Highlands and is now living in her apartment in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
Armytage also took her beautiful home on the NSW south coast off the market, just hours before her divorce from husband Richard Lavender made headlines.
And according to News Corp, the reason behind the split was tension between Armytage and Lavender’s children. Richard Lavender is pictured with ex-wife Kate (l) and daughter Grace
The unnamed source’s claims are seemingly supported by the fact that Grace and Sasha are no longer following Armytage on Instagram. Richard is pictured with daughter Sasha
The stunning three-bedroom, two-bedroom property on Hyams Beach has been languishing unsold since December last year.
And on Thursday morning the Illawarra Mercury reported that the house had been removed from the real estate listing and was no longer for sale.
The former Sunrise presenter and Lavender started dating in April 2019 and announced their engagement in June 2020 before tying the knot six months later at his property in rural NSW.
In a beautiful moment captured by photographer Abbie Melle, Armytage was seen holding hands with her new husband as they strolled through his Southern Highlands estate on New Year’s Eve, shortly after saying ‘I do’.
She captioned the heartwarming photo, which was taken after their wedding ceremony but before their reception, “11:58am on Thursday. How lucky are we?’
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, only a small number of guests attended the intimate ceremony, with Richard’s daughters believed to have been present.
Armytage also posted a photo from later in the evening, showing the couple cuddling alongside the words: “HNY from the Lav’s.”
Amid her failed marriage, Armytage has also undergone a huge career change after stepping down from Channel Seven after 21 years with the network.
The TV presenter, 48, and the equestrian businessman, 61, have gone their separate ways on the eve of their four-year wedding anniversary
‘Yes, Richard and I have broken up. All separations are difficult, but it is somewhat mitigated by the fact that it is amicable and we wish the best for each other,” Armytage told the media late Thursday evening.
She described the departure as “sad and bittersweet” and said she felt her time had come to an end.
‘I love instinct. I listen to my instincts. I know when the time comes. “I’m proud of the fact that I stand behind myself enough to say, ‘I’ve done what I can do here’ and I’ll move on,” she said.
‘This is not the end. It’s just the end of this chapter.’
Instead, she has moved to rival network Nine and has been signed up to host brand new reality dating show The Golden Bachelor.
The Golden Bachelor is a spin-off of the series The Bachelor, but differs in that the participants in the reality dating show are singles in their 50s and 60s.
Her new role at Nine will also see her become a ‘fill-in’ presenter on Today, while regular presenters Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo go on leave this summer.
Sam once hosted Seven’s rival breakfast show Sunrise and will co-host alongside Weekend Today star Clint Stanaway.
For a week and a half, the journalist ‘wakes up with Today’, where she can put her eight years of anchor experience at Sunrise from 2013 to 2021 to good use in the rival hotseat.