Tess Crosley, the former friend at the centre of the public rift between AFL star Lachie Neale and his wife Jules, appeared to put the recent turmoil behind her as she celebrated Christmas with loved ones. The Mormon missionary shared a gallery of sweet, family-focused photos to Instagram on Thursday, noticeably without her husband Ben present in any of the images.
A Festive Display Amidst the Fallout
In the series of photos, Tess looked radiant in a brown strapless dress, spending quality time with her young son in a scenic outdoor garden. One tender image captured her cradling her child under a sunny sky, while others showed her beaming at the camera and enjoying a drink with several female friends. She was not wearing her wedding ring in any of the photos, and her husband was conspicuously absent from the festive gallery, which she captioned simply 'Merry Christmas' with the comments turned off.
This peaceful display stands in stark contrast to the very public drama that has unfolded in recent weeks. The situation escalated on Monday when hairstylist and influencer Jules Neale, 35, launched a remarkable public attack on Tess. Jules demanded Tess remove Instagram photos from the Brisbane Lions' recent grand final celebrations, commenting 'Take these down, you idiot, you're embarrassing yourself.' The comment has since been deleted and the former friends no longer follow each other on social media.
The Breakdown of a Friendship and a Marriage
The fallout between Jules and Tess has been played out alongside the serious troubles in Jules's marriage to the Brisbane Lions footballer. Jules recently revealed the breakdown of her union, forcefully denying media reports that she was 'working through' issues with Neale. Instead, she alleged she had been 'betrayed in the most unimaginable way,' though she did not specify the details.
Following her statement, Jules deleted every photo of Lachie from her Instagram account, erasing over a decade of shared memories. A moving truck was also spotted at the couple's Brisbane home, where they live with their two children: four-year-old daughter Piper and son Freddie, born in December 2024.
Ironically, evidence of a once-close friendship between the two couples remains visible online. Photos from a coastal getaway in November show Tess, Jules, and their respective partners and children enjoying a holiday together, all smiles in bikinis on the sand. Another photo shows Tess and Lachie Neale spending time in the backyard of their holiday rental.
From 'Four Best Friends' to Public Estrangement
A video posted to Tess's TikTok in June further highlights how intimate the two couples once were. The clip, captioned 'Four best friends,' shows the group performing a popular trend. Jules mimes 'I hope our husbands get along', before Tess jumps in with 'me too'. The camera then cuts to Lachie and Ben Crosley with their arms interlocked, sharing a cocktail.
The stark contrast between that lighthearted video and the current acrimony underscores the depth of the schism. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Tess Crosley, and neither party has made any further public comment on the specifics of the situation beyond Jules's social media posts. As Tess enjoyed a quiet Christmas with her son, the future of both the friendship and the Neales' marriage remains publicly uncertain.
