Nadia Bartel was betrayed by a member of her own inner circle who leaked her sensational ‘cocaine’ video to the media, a source close to the high-profile AFL WAG has claimed.
The clip was accidentally uploaded to Instagram by Bartel’s friend and business partner, Ellie Pearson, on Thursday night and deleted shortly after.
However, within minutes it was going viral after a ‘frenemy’ – an enemy who falsely poses as a friend – maliciously made a copy and began sending the damning footage to media outlets.
Nadia Bartel (pictured) was betrayed by a member of her own inner circle who leaked her sensational ‘cocaine’ video to the media, a source close to the high-profile AFL WAG told Daily Mail Australia on Saturday
A source told Daily Mail Australia on Saturday that the spread of the video was a targeted attempt to take down Bartel.
‘The cocaine video was deliberately leaked by someone within Nadia’s elite Melbourne social circle,’ the source said.
‘This is someone who for all intents and purposes seems to be Nadia’s friend on Instagram but they are secretly jealous,’ they added.
The clip was accidentally uploaded to Instagram by Bartel’s friend and business partner, Ellie Pearson, on Thursday night and deleted shortly after. However within minutes, it was going viral after a ‘frenemy’ – an enemy who falsely poses as a friend – maliciously made a copy and began sending the damning footage to media outlets
‘The cocaine video was deliberately leaked by someone within Nadia’s elite Melbourne social circle,’ the source said. Nadia’s friends are pictured. Daily Mail Mail Australia is not suggesting any of the women pictured were involved in the leak
The source goes on to say that the video being posted posted by Ellie Pearson in the first instance was as a genuine mistake, ‘but Nadia’s nemesis pounced on it and immediately sent it to people she knew could get it to the press quickly.’
Leaking the video was part of ‘a campaign of revenge… someone wants to shut her down,’ the source added.
Illegal gatherings during lockdown with ‘drugs delivered to their door’ are common among socialites, the source claims, and the video leaker is believed to take part in those illicit events.
‘This is someone who for all intents and purposes seems to be Nadia’s friend on Instagram but they are secretly jealous’ the source added. Leaking the video was part of ‘a campaign of revenge… someone wants to shut her down’
The source makes it clear that Bartel’s good friends like Bec Judd and Jessie Murphy are NOT the leaker, as while the person is ‘well known in the social group’ they are not a fellow WAG.
There is sympathy for Bartel’s plight among her A-list pals, the source added, as the video leaker ‘broke the code’ about keeping such activity private within tight glitterati circles.
‘Nadia is genuinely apologetic but a lot of people in the upper echelons of Melbourne society feel genuinely bad for her,’ the source says.
The source goes on to say that the video being posted posted by Ellie Pearson in the first instance was as a genuine mistake, ‘but Nadia’s nemesis pounced on it and immediately sent it to people she knew could get it to the press quickly’
‘These sorts of videos of celebrities behaving badly are doing the rounds everywhere – in private WhatsApp groups and Facebook chats. The fact this video leaked to the press and went public broke the code.’
Pearson, who filmed the viral clip initially by mistake, revealed she was remorseful over the incident.
‘I’m just devastated,’ Pearson told The Herald Sun on Friday evening.
‘These sorts of videos of celebrities behaving badly are doing the rounds everywhere – in private WhatsApp groups and Facebook chats. The fact this video leaked to the press and went public broke the code’ the source added
A new report claims the video initially found its way online due to a cracked phone screen.
The Sydney Morning Herald claimed on Saturday that Pearson was attempting to send the video to her sister.
However, because her phone screen was damaged, she hit the wrong buttons.
As a result, the clip was posted to both Instagram and Facebook, and was online for around ten minutes before being deleted, the paper claims – however it was quickly copied by others and shared around, going viral on Friday.
Mistake: The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Saturday that Pearson (left) was attempting to send the video to her sister. However, because her phone screen was cracked, she hit the wrong buttons. As a result, the clip was posted to Instagram and Facebook, and was online for around ten minutes before being deleted, however it was quickly copied by others and shared around, going viral on Friday
Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Ellie Pearson for comment.
Bartel was visited by police after she was filmed breaking Melbourne’s strict lockdown and snorting what is believed to be cocaine at a party on Thursday night.
Victorian police attended the 36-year-old’s $3million inner-city residence on Friday evening, hours after the video was accidently uploaded.
Two plainclothes police officers were seen arriving at Bartel’s home but were reportedly unable to make contact with her.
In the viral video, Bartel snorts the powder off a $1.50 Kmart plate being held by a dark-haired woman, as a third woman displays a two-fingered hand gesture in the background
Police have since confirmed that Bartel has spoken with them, and no fines have been issued as of Saturday.
‘Victoria Police is aware of a video currently on social media depicting alleged illicit drug use and an alleged breach of CHO directions,’ a spokeswoman told The Herald Sun on Saturday.
‘Victoria Police has made contact with a 36-year-old Windsor woman who is assisting with inquiries. As the investigation is ongoing it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time,’ the spokesperson added.
Breaking her silence in a post shared to Instagram on Friday afternoon, the 36-year-old mum of two wrote: ‘Hi everyone, I have let you all down by my actions. I take full responsibility and I am committed to taking all necessary steps to ensure I make better choices in future’
Bartel broke her silence and issued an apology over the incident on Friday evening.
‘Hi everyone, I have let you all down by my actions. I take full responsibility and I am committed to taking all necessary steps to ensure I make better choices in future,’ she wrote in an Instagram post on Friday evening.
‘To my family and friends, my business partners and the public health workers trying to keep us all safe, I am embarrassed and remorseful.
That apology was ‘liked’ by a number of celebrities, including WAGs Tayla Damir, Kylie Brown and Kasia Z. Celebrities who showed support include Bachelorette star Lee Elliott, model Ksenija Lukich, socialite Nadia Fairfax, and Simone Callahan, Shane Warne’s ex-wife
‘I am truly and deeply sorry. I hope I can earn your forgiveness and, in time, your trust.’
Footage of Bartel snorting white powder off a plate at the gathering started going viral on Friday morning.
In the video, Bartel is seen snorting the powder off a $1.50 Kmart plate being held by a dark-haired woman, as a third woman displays a two-fingered hand gesture in the background.
The video was accidently uploaded to Instagram by her friend and business partner, Ellie Pearson. The pair are pictured together buying wine before the party. ‘I’m just devastated,’ Pearson told The Herald Sun on Friday evening
Private and public gatherings are not permitted in Melbourne, where Bartel lives, under Victoria’s Covid restrictions.
Nadia’s apology – which includes an appeal for forgiveness from health workers – appears to confirm the gathering was held on Thursday evening.
That apology was ‘liked’ by a number of celebrities, including WAGs Tayla Damir, Kylie Brown and Kasia Z.
Private and public gatherings are not permitted in Melbourne, where Bartel lives, under Victoria’s Covid restrictions. Police have since confirmed that Bartel has spoken with them, and no fines have been issued as of Saturday, however she is ‘assisting with enquiries’
Tayla Damir, a former Love Island star who is now engaged to Richmond player Nathan Broad, was among those who clicked ‘like’ on the post.
Kylie Brown, the wife of former captain of the Brisbane Lions Johnathon Brown, also ‘liked’ the Instagram apology.
Buddy Franklin’s ex-girlfriend Kasia Zachwieja, known as Kasia Z, was likewise among the ‘likers’.
The video, which has been widely shared on social media, was mentioned at Premier Daniel Andrews’ (pictured) daily coronavirus briefing on Friday. Mr Andrews said he hadn’t seen the footage but stressed that all Victorians should follow the rules during lockdown
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Bartel for comment.
The video was mentioned at Premier Daniel Andrews’ daily coronavirus briefing on Friday.
Mr Andrews said he hadn’t seen the footage but stressed that all Victorians should follow the rules during lockdown.
Bartel has turned off comments on her Instagram after the embarrassing video was leaked
‘I would urge everybody to do their very best to follow the rules, all of the time. I know it’s tough, I know it’s difficult,’ he said.
‘Beyond that, I don’t tend to comment on footage that I haven’t seen.’
Meanwhile, Bartel has turned off comments on her Instagram posts after the
embarrassing video was leaked.
She has also updated her Instagram bio to remove any reference to her companies, Henne and Spray Aus, perhaps because they were being targeted by trolls.
She has also updated her Instagram bio to remove any reference to her companies, Henne and Spray Aus. (Top: her current bio; bottom: how her bio used to look via an Instagram mirror site)
On Friday afternoon, Nadia’s father visited her at her home in Melbourne and is understood to have stayed 30 minutes.
Nadia stayed inside her property as her dad parked his car and rang her doorbell.
Bartel refused to comment to reporters awaiting outside her residence as she let her father inside.
On Friday afternoon, Nadia’s father (pictured) visited her at her home in Melbourne and is understood to have stayed 30 minutes
Bartel had been pictured wearing the same outfit she had on in the video while picking up a box of wine in Melbourne earlier on Thursday.
She was joined by Pearson, with whom she runs the Spray Aus fake tan company.
She donned a one-shoulder top from her fashion brand Henne, which she teamed with a pair of black skinny jeans.
She is the ex-wife of retired AFL star Jimmy Bartel (right), a Brownlow Medallist who spent his career with the Geelong Cats. The couple split in 2019 after five years of marriage
Bartel is a mother of two and entrepreneur who runs the fake-tan company Spray Aus and clothing label Henne.
She is the ex-wife of retired AFL star Jimmy Bartel, a Brownlow Medallist who spent his career with the Geelong Cats.
The couple split in 2019 after five years of marriage.
Jimmy spent Thursday and Friday with the former couple’s two sons, Aston, five, and Henley, three, posting these updates on Instagram