She has maintained a dignified silence over the past week after her ex-husband Lachlan Spark made explosive claims about their 2018 break-up.
And Lauren Phillips has now been pictured for the first time since the sorry saga made headlines, after spending the weekend with friends in Melbourne.
Her pal Nick Carr shared a photo to Instagram on Sunday of the group enjoying cocktails at the Arbory Afloat bar – but one detail about the snap raised eyebrows.
She’s back! Weekend Today host Lauren Phillips (third from left) has been pictured for the first time since her feud with ex-husband Lachlan Spark made headlines last week. She spent Sunday afternoon with friends at the Arbory Afloat bar in Melbourne
Comedian and The Project host Tommy Little was standing on the right in the photo, which is quite telling given that it’s believed he was once close friends with Lachlan.
In fact, Tommy was one of Lachlan’s groomsmen at the former television producer’s December 2017 wedding to Lauren in Victoria’s picturesque Mornington Peninsula.
While it’s possible he and Lachlan are still friends, the photo taken on Sunday suggests that the funnyman, 35, sided with the Weekend Today host following the couple’s split in 2018, after just a year of marriage.
Are they still mates? Comedian and The Project host Tommy Little was standing on the right in the photo, which is quite telling given that it’s believed he was once close friends with Lachlan
Lachlan made a point of saying earlier this month that he’d ‘lost almost every friend I’d found over seven years’ since splitting from Lauren – including those he once considered ‘best mates’.
He did not mention Tommy specifically, however.
Tommy Little’s publicist at the Hit Network declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia.
Throwback: Tommy (right) was one of Lachlan’s (centre) groomsmen at the former television producer’s December 2017 wedding to Lauren in Victoria’s picturesque Mornington Peninsula
What went wrong? While it’s possible he and Lachlan are still friends, the photo taken on Sunday suggests that Tommy sided with Lauren following the couple’s split in 2018, after just a year of marriage. Lachlan is pictured with his groomsmen in December 2017
Left behind? Lachlan has made a point of saying that he ‘lost almost every friend I’d found over seven years’ since splitting from Lauren, including those he once considered ‘best mates’
Lauren and Lachlan’s marriage split two years ago was thrust back into the headlines last week when he shared a blistering Instagram post about their break-up.
Lachlan, who runs his own creative agency, unleashed on the 39-year-old Channel Nine presenter, accusing her of ‘caring more about herself’ during their relationship.
‘A while ago, I married a girl who cared much more about herself and how she was perceived than she did about me,’ began Lachlan, who had only recently returned to Instagram after deleting all his social media accounts when he split from Lauren.
‘It was a lot… too much, actually. I left and despite losing almost every friend I’d found over seven years (and a few other “best mates” for good measure) in the blink of an eye, it was the best thing I’ve ever done.’
He went on to say that he’d wasted years of his life with the wrong person.
Mudslinging: Lauren and Lachlan’s marriage split two years ago was thrust back into the headlines last week when he shared a blistering Instagram post about their break-up. The former couple are pictured on their wedding day
‘Approaching 40, I was more than a bit nervous I’d wasted a big chunk of my life with the wrong person, and that I was long odds to find anyone who was willing (or able) to give me the love I knew I deserved,’ he explained.
He then took another swipe at his ex, saying: ‘I truly believed there was more to a relationship (and life) than skin-deep friends, free holidays and Instagram followers – I just needed to find it.’
In addition to sharing the scathing post, Lachlan also debuted his new girlfriend Courtney Wynbergen, who he said had ‘changed his world’.
After his online sledge caught the attention of the media, Lachlan backpedalled slightly by saying it had not been his intention to sound ‘malicious’.
Sledge: Lachlan, who runs his own creative agency, unleashed on the 39-year-old Channel Nine star, accusing her of ‘caring more about herself’ during their relationship and saying he ‘wasted’ years of his life with the wrong person. Pictured on March 16, 2017, in Melbourne
He has since offered a full apology – possibly because of the trolling he’s received from Lauren’s fans – telling the Herald Sun he was ‘incredibly naive and stupid’ for trashing his ex-wife so publicly.
He and Lauren wed in late 2017 after six years of dating, but confirmed their split in December 2018 after just a year of marriage.
At the time, her representative confirmed the marriage was over in a brief statement to The Daily Telegraph newspaper.
Moving on: In addition to sharing the scathing post, Lachlan also debuted his new girlfriend Courtney Wynbergen (left), who he said had ‘changed his world’
Split rumours soon began circulating after fans noticed Lauren had stopped wearing her wedding and engagement rings.
About this time, Lachlan disappeared from social media altogether, disabling his Instagram account.
It’s believed the couple’s marriage ran into trouble soon after their wedding.
In December 2018, a source told Daily Mail Australia that Lauren and Lachlan had attempted a ‘trial separation in February to March’ that year – just two months after their nuptials.
Whoops! After his online sledge caught the attention of the media, Lachlan (pictured with Lauren on November 1, 2016, in Melbourne) backpedalled slightly by saying it had not been his intention to sound ‘malicious’
Saying sorry: He has since offered a full apology, telling the Herald Sun he was ‘incredibly naive and stupid’ for trashing his ex-wife so publicly
The insider claimed there had been a ‘breach of trust’ that led to the trial separation and, ultimately, the break-up.
In March 2019, Lauren opened up about their split, saying they were still on good terms and had even attended a friend’s wedding in Byron Bay together.
‘It’s been a hectic few months trying to find my feet and I suppose trying to get my confidence back again,’ she told The Daily Telegraph.
One-year union: Lachlan and Lauren wed in late 2017 after six years of dating, but confirmed their split in December 2018 after just a year of marriage. At the time, her representative confirmed the marriage was over in a brief statement to The Daily Telegraph newspaper
‘I think often when you’re going through a difficult time people rally around you and that’s what I’ve done.’
She added: ‘Lachie and I are still on really great terms. We just went to a wedding in Byron Bay. People go through difficult times and we made a promise to be there for each other.’
Lauren is now believed to be dating multi-millionaire jet tycoon Paul O’Brien, who happens to be the ex-boyfriend of Sunrise host Sam Armytage.
New man: Lauren is now believed to be dating multi-millionaire jet tycoon Paul O’Brien (pictured), who happens to be the ex-boyfriend of Sunrise host Sam Armytage