Jono Castano's Valentine's Day Tribute Contains Subtle Jab at Ex-Girlfriend
Personal trainer Jono Castano, 34, has made a thinly-veiled dig at his ex-girlfriend Simone Holtznagel, merely days after their intense online confrontation regarding co-parenting their nearly two-year-old daughter, Gia. The Acero gym owner took to Instagram on Valentine's Day to share an effusive tribute to his girlfriend of nine months, Emily Ryder, lavishing her with praise while strongly implying that such sentiments were absent during his relationship with Simone.
Instagram Post Highlights Contrast with Past Relationship
"From our first date at Ezra to travelling the world together, today feels extra special," Castano wrote in his heartfelt post. "You walked into my life and embraced everything that matters to me loving Gia like your own, standing beside my family, and supporting me through every high and low."
He continued to commend his social media influencer girlfriend for introducing a profound sense of "calm, warmth and love" that he "didn't know he needed"—a clear suggestion that these qualities were lacking in his previous partnership with Holtznagel. "Through every flight, every memory, every late night talk when I can get a word in and early 3am morning grind, it's always been better with you by my side," he gushed, concluding with, "Happy Valentine's Day. Thank you for loving me, my daughter, and the life we're building together. I'm grateful for you today and every day."
Background of the Co-Parenting Dispute
This romantic declaration arrives precisely one week after Castano and Holtznagel engaged in a bitter public exchange over their co-parenting arrangements and child support payments. The dispute ignited when Holtznagel, following a supervised visit, informed her Instagram followers that Castano had been paying only $40 per week in child support until recently.
Castano has vehemently denied allegations of underpayment, presenting evidence of money transfers totalling thousands of dollars since December. However, he acknowledged that, until late last year, his weekly payments were a mere $45 because the pair "couldn't agree" on an appropriate amount, adding that Holtznagel had requested an "insane" sum he found unaffordable.
Simone Holtznagel's Explosive Social Media Post
Holtznagel's incendiary post, shared on her Instagram Stories on Friday, February 6, featured a video of her dancing in her living room with their toddler while flipping the bird. The caption read: "My purely hypothetical, calm reaction when my BD [baby daddy] rocks up 45 minutes late to his supervised visit."
She proceeded to take swipes at Castano's ex-wife and business partner, Amy, as well as his current girlfriend, Emily Ryder, before levelling accusations about his driver's licence. "[Arriving] in his new girlfriend's car, being driven by his current wife - because neither of them own a vehicle," she wrote. "This is the same 'celebrity trainer' who hasn't had a consistent licence in four years and only just discovered paying more than $40 a week in child support is a thing."
Holtznagel added, "And then, has the audacity to ask if I'm pregnant because I 'have a tummy'. The confidence. The delusion. The absolute lack of self-awareness."
Jono Castano's Rebuttal and Clarifications
In response, Castano posted a rebuttal video on Instagram the following Saturday morning, asserting that Holtznagel's post was riddled with "lies." He displayed screenshots of bank transactions demonstrating payments of almost $8,500 to his ex since December, though he conceded that earlier payments were substantially lower.
Addressing the pregnancy remark, Castano clarified that his actual words were, "I'm very happy for Gia if you are pregnant," rather than the insinuation made by Holtznagel. The pair originally split in late May 2024, a mere nine weeks after welcoming their daughter Gia, and their relationship has remained fraught with public tensions ever since.
