The family of the married woman at the centre of AFL star Lachie Neale’s split from wife Jules have broken their silence on the league’s hottest scandal.
Softly-spoken and religious, mother-of-one Tess Crosley has found herself in the middle of a media storm ever since Jules told her to stop ’embarrassing’ herself and delete cosy photos of the Brisbane Lions golden boy from her Instagram account.
The confrontation came after Jules, who shares two young children with Lachie, revealed on December 19 she had been betrayed by her husband of seven years in the most ‘unimaginable way’.
Tess has so far refused to comment on speculation she was the ‘other woman’ in the Neales’ split, and has not confirmed the status of her marriage to finance director Ben Crosley, who last month said she was no longer living at their marital home.
Now, in an unexpected twist, those closest to Tess are beginning to speak out on her behalf.
Their intervention came after Tess reignited speculation about the alleged affair by posting a cryptic Instagram quote last week that read: ‘There is always another story, there is more than meets the eye.’
The message, shared alongside a breezy selfie, quickly fuelled rumours that there was more to the situation than a straightforward affair. But it also drew criticism from those who accused Tess of sidestepping responsibility for her alleged actions.
One viral TikTok clip, which slammed Tess for failing to own her mistakes, struck a nerve with her family. Her mother Kaz Caesar and sister Ceinwen Parsons responded fiercely and publicly, insisting the narrative had been unfairly one‑sided.
The family of the married woman at the centre of AFL star Lachie Neale’s split from wife Jules have broken their silence on the league’s hottest scandal. (Pictured from left: Tess Crosley, her husband Ben, and former Brisbane Lions captain Lachie Neale after last year’s AFL grand final)
Tess’ sister Ceinwen Parsons (left) and mother Kaz Caesar (right) have lashed out on social media, claiming that Tess has been unfairly portrayed as the villain in the saga
‘There are four people involved, and none of them are innocent; however, one person has been allowed to be the villain and told to keep quiet right from the beginning,’ Mrs Caesar wrote in a now-deleted comment.
She also rejected claims her daughter was enjoying the attention, decrying what she viewed as weeks of harassment and intrusion from the media.
‘People say she is loving the attention – [that’s] far from the truth. Have you been stalked by sleazy reporters taking a hundred photos at a time just to find one they can sell? Then the papers clickbaiting or adding AI photos. Then the public falling for the story as absolute truth.
‘What has our society become? Better still, do you think making TikToks about this makes you so high and mighty?’
The Daily Mail did not add any AI-generated photos to its coverage.
Crosley’s younger sister echoed those sentiments, saying there was a ‘heartbreaking’ backstory behind the scandal and accusing critics of ignoring the toll it had taken.
‘You have no idea the extensive abuse she has received so how would she feel comfortable sharing her side of the story. She will only be cast down further,’ Ceinwen wrote.
‘She has a story, it is actually heartbreaking, and yes she has made mistakes too, but remember she is just a human, and a good one, regardless of all people’s assumptions and accusations.’
Last week, Tess shared a cryptic Instagram post hinting there was ‘more than meets the eye’ after she was accused of a months-long affair with the Brisbane Lions star
Comments were turned off, but Tess’ puzzling post has nonetheless reignited speculation
The Mail contacted Jules Neale for her response to the claim by Tess’ family that there was more to the story and that none of the four people involved ‘are innocent’.
Her spokesperson declined to comment; however, a source close to Jules said she was furious at the false suggestion she was anything but an innocent party.
The saga erupted over the Christmas break when Jules publicly declared the end of her marriage to Lachie, pointed the finger of blame at her former friend Tess, and moved from Brisbane to Perth with her two children.
By January 2, amid intense media scrutiny, Lachie had stepped down as co-captain of the Lions.
Jules allegedly discovered the affair after a fellow Brisbane WAG spotted Lachie and Tess together in a car. After confiding in another woman within the Lions’ social circle, the unnamed spouse then told Jules what she had witnessed.
Tess (left) and her husband Ben (second from right) were once inseparable from Lachie Neale and his wife Jules (pictured together after the AFL grand final in November last year)
A source close to Jules (above, with estranged husband Lachie Neale) said she was furious at the false suggestion she was anything but an innocent party
In relinquishing captaincy of the Lions earlier this month, the two-time Brownlow Medal winner apologised, but stopped short of a full admission of infidelity.
‘While I will not go into specifics, I can say that I have let my family down and I apologise for my actions, which have hurt those closest to me. For that, I am deeply sorry,’ he told reporters.
‘I accept this as a consequence of my actions and I need to focus on rebuilding trust with Jules, as the future well-being of our children remains our number one priority.’
The press conference at Brighton Homes Arena escalated when a journalist asked whether he had cheated on his wife, a question the star midfielder declined to address.
Weeks later, on January 18, the Daily Mail briefly spoke to Tess’ husband Ben on the doorstep of the couple’s marital home in Camp Hill, seeking clarification on the state of their marriage.
‘She does not live here anymore,’ was all he would say.
However, since then Ben has been observed liking posts on Lachie’s Instagram account – a puzzling move given the premiership-winning AFL captain allegedly had an affair with his wife.