"I've moved on": Barnaby Joyce's former wife speaks out after "media circus" wedding
Barnaby Joyce's "bush-bash" wedding to Vikki Campion has stirred up a whirlwind of emotions and media attention, prompting Natalie Abberfield, his first wife, to finally break her silence.
Speaking to news.com.au, Abberfield revealed that she has successfully moved on from the heartbreak of her 24-year marriage to the former Deputy Prime Minister coming to an end.
Abberfield acknowledged that life has taken a positive turn for her and her family since the divorce, and that she is focused on herself and the well-being of her loved ones.
“All I want to say is, I would just like to wish the happy couple all the best,’’ she told news.com.au. “I am just looking after me and no one else I suppose. That’s probably it. Yeah. I’ve got a really good group of friends. My family is great. The girls are great. Yeah. I’ve moved on now. Totally moved on.
“I suppose that was one chapter of my book and now I am in a few new chapters of my book.”
The absence of an invitation to the wedding for Natalie's daughter, Odette, added a layer of complexity to the family dynamics. Odette, a 20-year-old aspiring individual, criticised the media circus surrounding the event as "tacky". Despite the strained relationship, Natalie remains close to her adult daughters, who chose not to attend their father's wedding.
Post-divorce, Natalie has found solace and empowerment in bodybuilding, a passion she adopted as a means to "escape" the chaos that followed the end of her marriage. Contrary to media speculations, she clarified that bodybuilding was not about achieving a "revenge body" but rather a journey towards rediscovering her identity beyond the roles of wife and mother.
The Joyce family saga has not escaped the public eye, drawing comments from then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who described Joyce's behaviour as a "shocking error of judgment". The fallout from the affair has left Natalie and her daughters grappling with hurt and humiliation.
Joyce's youngest daughter, Odette, confirmed that none of his four daughters attended the wedding, underlining the fractured relationships within the family. Odette's criticism extended to her father's decision to involve the media in the ceremony, deeming it both "tacky" and in "poor taste".
Prior to the recent nuptials, in a surprising yet light-hearted twist, Barnaby's daughter Julia posted an Instagram video wearing a bridal dress while Natalie appeared to wear a veil. The caption, "Getting ready to crash my dad’s wedding I didn’t get invited to, in my mum’s wedding dress," hinted at a coping mechanism for the family, with Natalie explaining that it was all "for a laugh".
Ultimately, in the face of public scrutiny and strained family relationships, Natalie Abberfield appears to have chosen a path of strength, focusing on her well-being, her passions and the positive aspects of her life.
Images: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister / Instagram