Jimmy Bartel has been pictured with his rumoured ‘long-term’ girlfriend Lauren Mand for the first time since his split from wife Nadia.
The retired AFL star, 35, was seen having a ‘serious conversation’ with Lauren at the Manly Greenhouse restaurant in Sydney on Wednesday afternoon.
According to an onlooker, the couple spent around four hours seated at an outside table and ‘there wasn’t a lot of smiling going on’.
The secret’s out! Jimmy Bartel has been pictured for the first time with his ‘long-term girlfriend’ Lauren Mand. They spent around four hours at a restaurant in Manly, Sydney on Wednesday
Serious: The retired AFL star, 35, was seen having a ‘serious conversation’ with Lauren at the Manly Greenhouse restaurant
The source added: ‘There was no touching or hand-holding. [Jimmy] looked pretty serious and they weren’t laughing or anything.
‘They were there for a while. He seemed a bit sheepish and was looking around to see if anyone recognised him.’
Lauren wore dark aviator sunglasses and a stylish blazer, while Jimmy dressed more casually in a grey long-sleeve top.
Catching up? According to an onlooker, ‘there wasn’t a lot of smiling going on’
Out and about: Another eyewitness said that the pair ‘didn’t really look like a couple’
Spotted: ‘They were sitting down having lunch and talking and had some drinks, quite relaxed. I remember I saw her and thought she was very pretty,’ said the onlooker
Another eyewitness said that the pair ‘didn’t really look like a couple’, but were nonetheless relaxed during the outing.
‘They were sitting down having lunch and talking and had some drinks, quite relaxed. I remember I saw her and thought she was very pretty,’ they said.
‘They looked like friends just having a good day and they got there at around one o’clock and they left about four hours later.’
Claims: According to the Herald Sun, Lauren has ‘long been referring to Jimmy as her boyfriend’, despite the fact he is married with two children. Pictured: Jimmy and his estranged wife Nadia Bartel at a friend’s wedding on June 2
The sighting marks the first time the couple have been seen together since their relationship was made public on August 16.
At around the same time as the lunch date, Jimmy’s estranged wife was making her first public appearance since the break-up at a women’s event in Melbourne.
She told guests at the ‘Women Driving Change’ luncheon that her sons, Aston, three, and Henley, 10 months, are her ‘number one priority’ going forward.
Different worlds: At around the same time as the lunch date, Jimmy’s estranged wife Nadia was making her first public appearance since the break-up at a women’s event in Melbourne
‘Everything comes second to that,’ she said. ‘I still want to have goals. I’m passionate about what I do, and I want my children to look up to that, and see mum is doing something she’s passionate about.’
On Thursday, less than 24 hours after meeting with Lauren, Jimmy had a tense encounter with a paparazzo while flying out of Sydney Airport.
He refused to answer any questions about his new relationship or the breakdown of his marriage to Nadia, offering nothing but silence.
Not answering question: On Thursday, less than 24 hours after meeting with Lauren, Jimmy had a tense encounter with a paparazzo while flying out of Sydney Airport
Silent: He refused to answer any questions about his new relationship or the breakdown of his marriage to Nadia, offering nothing but silence
‘How long have you known Lauren Mand for?’ the photographer asked. ‘Are there any other women involved in this, Jimmy?’
According to the Herald Sun, Lauren has ‘long been referring to Jimmy as her boyfriend’, despite the fact he is married with two children.
There is no suggestion that Jimmy’s relationship with Lauren began while he was still with Nadia.
Also on Thursday, Nadia was pictured meeting with her lawyers in Melbourne accompanied by her father and sister.
Hell hath no fury! Also on Thursday, Nadia was pictured meeting with her lawyers in Melbourne accompanied by her father and sister
The Bartels, who were long considered one of the AFL’s ‘glamour couples’, quietly separated months ago, but their split wasn’t announced until August 15.
Meanwhile, Nadia is said to be ‘bracing herself’ for more details of her husband’s private life to be made public in the coming weeks.
The businesswoman is preparing for the worst amid rumours Jimmy’s new girlfriend is enjoying her notoriety and wants to ‘make headlines’
Announcing her split for the first time earlier this month, Nadia said: ‘It’s been a very difficult month for me and the boys.
‘My single focus now is to continue to protect, care and provide for my two beautiful boys as this is a personal matter.’
In happier times: The Bartels, who were long considered one of the AFL’s ‘glamour couples’, quietly separated months ago, but their split wasn’t announced until August 15
According to friends of the couple, the break-up had come out of the blue and Nadia was ‘blindsided’ by the end of her marriage.
It comes after the Bartels were pictured having a tense reunion outside of Nadia’s mother’s house in Middle Park, Melbourne last Thursday.
The WAG looked furious during the encounter, glaring angrily at her estranged husband as he handed over the couple’s son Henley in a parking lot.
Guess they’re not friends! It comes after the Bartels were pictured having a tense reunion outside of Nadia’s mother’s house in Middle Park, Melbourne last Thursday
Jilted: The day before, Nadia had been pictured breaking down outside her mother’s house
According to an onlooker, the pair ‘hardly interacted or spoke’ during the handover and Nadia ‘wasted no time’ getting Henley and running back inside.
The Bartels’ reunion – the first time they had been seen together since announcing their separation earlier this month – was apparently ‘over in a minute’.
The mother-of-two left her shared home with Jimmy in mid-June, and moved in with her parents ‘permanently’ in July.
Looking for attention? Nadia is apparently preparing for the worst amid rumours Jimmy’s new girlfriend Lauren (pictured) is enjoying her notoriety and wants to ‘make headlines’
It’s believed the split had been a long time coming, with a neighbour saying the Bartels had rarely been seen together over the past year.
‘Last year we saw Nadia at cafés in the area frequently with her parents and kids, but Jimmy was never with her,’ the source claimed.
The Bartels’ split was first announced on August 15, just days after fans noticed the couple were no longer following each other on Instagram.
Jimmy and Nadia married in February 2014 in a lavish ceremony near Melbourne and are parents to sons Aston and Henley.
Notorious: The AFL legend is now said to be in a ‘long-term relationship’ with Lauren (pictured)