Married at First Sight star Stacey Hampton has posted a touching tribute to her bikie ex as she tries to put on a brave face for their grieving boys.
Senior Rebels boss Shane Smith, 38, was killed in a motorcycle crash in Adelaide’s north-east a week ago. The father-of-four died at the scene, despite paramedics’ desperate attempts to revive him.
Ms Hampton, who appeared on season seven of Married At First Sight in 2020, dated Smith from the age of 19 until their split in July 2017, a month before he was convicted of bashing two nightclub bouncers.
The Rebels’ Adelaide president was also the father of her two young boys Kosta, 7, and Kruz, 5, and had her name tattooed on his hand.
After a harrowing week, Ms Hampton publicly thanked wellwishers for their heartfelt messages and flowers.
She also gave an update on how her sons are dealing with the tragic loss, adding they’re all doing their best to get on with life but admits it’s tough and that her boys are hurting.
‘I appreciate every single one of you,’ Ms Hampton posted, on Tuesday.
Married at First Sight star Stacey Hampton (right) has paid tribute to her ex Shane Smith
The former MAFS star shared two young sons with her late ex SHane Smith (pictured with one of their sons)
‘Unfortunately, with life, it goes on. The boys need to try and live a normal life, considering, and I’m trying my hardest to make sure they smile.
‘It’s waking up every day knowing they are hurting, that hurts the most.
‘It doesn’t matter what anyone says, a child who is seven and five should never lose a father.’
‘We are doing our best to live normal lives.
‘It’s not about me or anyone else. It’s about those innocent children. Always has and always will be.’
‘Is it hard? Absolutely. My heart breaks for them.’
She also shared a photo of her Kruz and Kosta surrounded by flowers, captioned with two love hearts.
Stacey Hampton gave a heartbreaking update on how her little boys are coping with the loss of their dad
Ms Hampton has remained on good terms with Smith since their separation five years ago and hailed him as an amazing father when she broke her silence the day after his death.
‘He is now at peace with his brother, mother and friends,’ Ms Hampton told Nine News last week.
‘He was an amazing father. He adored his children and his parents.
‘Our hearts are broken, and our lives will never be the same.
‘He had a heart of gold and adored his family and friends.’
She has since taken to social media to share several tributes
‘In our silences we hide the loudest of words,’ one post shared on her Instagram story read.
She also posted a photo of her son on a ride at the Royal Adelaide Show last week.
‘Your laugh and smile is all that matters right now,’ the photo was cpationed.
It’s the latest in a series of tragedies to hit Ms Hampton after her father took his own life and her brother’s tragic death – also in a motorcycle accident – on the day she was due to give birth.
Smith described himself on his Facebook profile as ‘straight up (and) loyal to those loyal to me’. He also included: ‘One club one life, family is everything.’
His death took South Australia’s 2022 road toll to 52 lives lost.
His distraught sister was among those who laid flowers at the scene in Redwood Park on Wednesday.
Smith’s passenger, a 45-year-old man who was riding on the back of the bike, suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Rebels Adelaide president Shane Smith (left) was also a boxing trainer. He’s pictured with boxing great Danny Green
Shane Smith’s death in a motorcycle crash took South Australia’s 2022 road toll to 52
The Rebels paid tribute to ‘another brother taken way too soon’, just days after the sudden death of bikie enforcer Bradley Daniele in hospital.
Bikies farewelled Mr Daniele at a funeral just three days after after Mr Smith’s shock death.
‘Today marks another dark day for our club, we are all in disbelief of the passing of our brother Shane 1%er,’ the club wrote.
‘Our sincerest condolences to our brothers in Adelaide, Shane’s immediate family especially his four beautiful children.
‘You will be greatly missed and Never forgotten. A REBEL FOREVER FOREVER A REBEL.’
Married At First Sight’s controversial bride Stacey Hampton (right) was engaged to Rebels bikie boss Shane Michael Smith (left) with whom she shares two sons (one pictured)
In 2020, she defended Smith and urged society not to judge her ex on his criminal past.
‘He’s honestly the greatest person, and I think he’s ashamed of his past,’ she said in a magazine interview.
‘I met him when I was really young, 19, through mutual friends, and I wasn’t aware of his lifestyle, but I fell for him so quickly,’ she continued.
‘At the time, I didn’t realise he actually had charges from ages ago that had come up, assault charges.’
Proud parent Shane Smith poses with Kosta (left) and a newborn Kruz in 2017
Stacey, who is 11 years younger than Smith, told Daily Mail Australia in 2020 that they would ‘always be each other’s kryptonite’.
‘Shane and I met very young, I fell hard and fast, and we will always be each other’s kryptonite,’ she said.
‘He was always very supportive, and I had terrible post-natal depression, which is my motivation behind my charity.
‘He took the kids when I was in no state to have them. I had to fix myself, and I was alone. He was great to me.
‘He still emotionally supports me and my decisions, helps me with relationship advice and also looks out for me and my children’s happiness.
‘We still share kids’ birthdays together and do lunches. We just can’t be together because we argue, and we both have a lot of damage from our past, which clashes.
‘It was a civil break-up. He’s an amazing dad and I have no regrets.’
In February 2019, heavily-tattooed Smith was convicted and fined $3,500 for assaulting two bouncers outside a nightclub in Bendigo on August 6, 2017
‘He still emotionally supports me and my decisions, helps me with relationship advice and also looks out for me and my children’s happiness,’ Stacey said of her former partner Shane Smith, pictured with their son Kruz
Ms Hampton shared her struggles with being a young mother while Smith was behind bars.
‘I fell pregnant at the age of 20 and gave birth at 21 when my partner was incarcerated,’ she says.
‘I had to get admitted to hospital with shingles from stress, and then I had Bell’s palsy with stress whilst heavily pregnant.’
Shane was killed in a motorbike crash in Adelaide’s north-east around 3am on Wednesday
One of many family photos on Smith’s social media shows the bikie leader in his Rebels colours as Stacey cradles Kosta during their time together.
‘That’s Stacey Hampton my wife,’ he wrote alongside two heart emojis when friends complimented his glamorous partner.
Smith also has Ms Hampton’s name tattooed on his hand along with Kosta’s name and birth date – January 25, 2016.
In February 2019, Smith was convicted and fined $3,500 for assaulting two bouncers outside a nightclub in Bendigo on August 6, 2017.
He narrowly avoided jail after a magistrate dismissed an affray charge because the savage beatings weren’t deemed to be evoking of terror in bystanders.
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