Nadia Bartel has broken her silence following her split with husband Jimmy.
Speaking to the Herald Sun on Tuesday, the 34-year-old blogger said that it had been a ‘difficult month’ for her.
Meanwhile, friends of the estranged couple have alleged that Jimmy is in a long-term relationship with British-based Australian socialite Lauren Mand.
‘I’m heartbroken’: Nadia Bartel has broken her silence after her split from husband Jimmy. Pictured: The couple at a Myer fashion event on February 16, 2017 in Melbourne
Nadia is believed to have discovered Jimmy’s romance with Lauren through text messages.
‘Although I’m heartbroken, I don’t want to comment specifically on what’s been reported about Jim’s trip to the UK as I don’t think that is in anyone’s interests,’ Nadia told the Herald Sun.
‘My single focus now is to continue to protect, care and provide for my two beautiful boys as this is a personal matter.’
New flame: Friends of the estranged couple have told Herald Sun that Jimmy is in a long-term relationship with British-based Australian socialite Lauren Mand (pictured)
Nadia’s comments come after Jimmy addressed the split over the weekend.
While appearing on 3AW’s pre-match AFL coverage on Saturday, Jimmy insisted it was a ‘private matter’ before acknowledging the situation was ‘not great’.
He refused to go into any further detail about the split, adding: ‘I am probably not going to provide any commentary on it.
‘I know I am in the public eye and people are interested, but it is a private matter and I ask for a bit of respect because obviously Nadia and the boys [are] involved.’
It’s over! Last week, Nadia and Jimmy left the AFL community shocked by unexpectedly announcing the end of their five-year marriage. They are yet to reveal why they separated
However, the retired sportsman has since hinted at his personal heartbreak by ‘liking’ several emotional memes on Instagram.
One post he liked read: ‘No person or job is worth your mental health.’
A second post read: ‘Some days are just s**t. And that’s okay! Because tomorrow is a brand new day with the chance to start / begin / try again. Hang in there.’
‘Blindsided’: Nadia is believed to have discovered Jimmy’s relationship with Lauren (pictured) through text messages
Feeling the strain: Nadia looked downcast while dropping her son Aston off at her mother’s house in Melbourne on Tuesday
On Friday, the Herald Sun first reported on Jimmy’s relationship with Lauren Mand.
At the time, the newspaper alleged that Jimmy had only started seeing the blonde ‘recently’, but the latest claims about him being in a ‘long-term relationship’ appear to contradict this.
The publication further claimed that Nadia and Jimmy had separated ‘in early July and are not speaking to one another’.
Nadia was said to be ‘blindsided’ by the split.
‘The boys are involved’: While appearing on 3AW’s pre-match AFL coverage on Saturday, Jimmy insisted that his marriage breakdown was a ‘private matter’
It comes after Nadia took to Instagram last week to address speculation about her marriage breakdown.
On Friday, an anonymous user made shocking and baseless claims about the Bartels’ relationship, prompting Nadia to defend herself in the comments section.
The Instagram troll had claimed that Nadia might want to avoid flying with budget airline Jetstar in case she bumps into Jimmy’s new girlfriend.
They also made other false allegations about the state of the former couple’s marriage before their recent separation.
‘No person or job is worth your mental health’: Jimmy has since hinted at his personal heartbreak by ‘liking’ several emotional memes on Instagram, including this one
Hard times? Jimmy also liked another post, which read, ‘Some days are just s**t’
Nadia’s supporters flocked to her defence, with one woman writing: ‘What a cold-hearted, unnecessary and insensitive thing to say… Shame on you.’
But it was a cruel remark about Nadia not having a ‘real job’ that prompted the fashion influencer to step in and address her troll directly.
She replied: ‘Try writing from a real account. Don’t hide. I have numerous real jobs.’
Hitting back: Nadia (pictured) took to Instagram last week to address speculation about the end of her five-year marriage
Cruel taunts: An Instagram troll had claimed that Nadia might want to avoid flying with budget airline Jetstar in case she bumps into Jimmy’s new girlfriend
‘Don’t hide’: But it was a cruel remark about Nadia not having a ‘real job’ that prompted the fashion blogger to step in and address her troll directly
Nadia and Jimmy first met in 2008 while attending the Melbourne F1 Grand Prix. The former Geelong Cats player proposed four years later in Mexico.
The couple then married in an elaborate wedding on the Bellarine Peninsula in 2014.
They share custody of two sons: three-year-old Aston and nine-month-old Henley.
Family: The couple share custody of two sons: Aston, three, and nine-month-old Henley