Socialite Ellie Aitken and her estranged husband Charlie had a heated confrontation as he returned to their family home on Sunday to pack his clothes after he started dating her best friend.
It’s the first time Charlie Aitken, 48, has been spotted at the property in Sydney’s eastern suburbs since the investment banker announced his new relationship with Hollie Nasser, 36, last month.
Ms Aitken stood behind the front gate, fiercely shaking her finger in front of his face in a explosive showdown.
The tense encounter came just hours after Ms Aitken, 42, broke her silence over his new relationship with Ms Nasser by sharing a fiery text exchange about the split.
In an Instagram post, Ms Aitken shared a text message she had received from Ms Nasser accusing her of ‘playing the victim’ and blaming her for ‘ruining her marriage’.
Financier Charlie Aitken is seen visiting his estranged wife Ellie Aitken at their family home on Sunday amidst a celebrity fuelled fracas
The pair appeared to be in a heated conversation as Mr Aitken went into the house before later emerging with his clothes
Mr Aitken placed a stack of clothes into his boot before leaving the former couple’s home
Ms Aitken appeared angry and downcast, crossing her arms as she guarded the entrance way into the property
‘Ellie there’s no point in us talking anymore,’ Ms Nasser’s message begins.
‘I can’t believe after … you are out there playing the victim and saying I ruined your perfect marriage.’
Ms Nasser also claimed Ms Aitken had tactfully posted photos online of her smiling alongside her husband of more than 20 years at their son’s rugby team award night on Friday to gain media attention.
Just hours after pictures confirmed Mr Aitken had set up home with his new love, Ms Aitken tried to maintain a united front by sharing photos of the family at the function in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on Instagram.
‘Of course putting photos of [your son] on public Instagram was going in the paper, you knew that when you posted it,’ Ms Nasser said in the text.
Ms Nasser denied that Mr Aitken had spent the weekend at her house, claiming photographs that placed him there on Friday only showed him dropping her off.
Ellie Aitken has shared photos of her bitter exchange with Hollie Nasser (pictured) as their friendship continues to deteriorate
Ms Aitken uploaded a heated conversation she had with her former best friend on Instagram on Sunday
‘Charlie was not at my house last night and I’ve got mum staying here,’ she continued.
‘I’ve had photographers here since Friday and still here now surrounding my house I’m not that dumb. He dropped me outside my house on Friday and that’s it. I know he is staying at the Meriton.’
But Ms Aitken refused to believe the claims, saying her husband had admitted he was there.
‘Darling I was watching him there with the white plantation shutters behind which we photographed on FaceTime and he told me he was there having pizza,’ Ms Aitken’s reply text reads.
Ms Aitken added superimposed text at the bottom of the Instagram story, reading: ‘Stop lying and bullying me @hollie.nasser. Enough.’
The screen grab of the heated message exchange was deleted a short time later.
The raging war of words – which is the first public glimpse inside the drama wreaking havoc behind closed doors – exposes how weeks of turmoil and heartbreak have reached boiling point.
Ellie Aitken, 42, smiled for the camera alongside her estranged husband Charlie and their son (pictured) at an event on Friday
Ms Nasser has remained at the marital home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs where her relationship with Mr Aitken was first revealed
Mr Aitken and his wife Ellie had been long-time friends of the Nasser’s, and Mr Nasser was a director of the Aitken’s wealth management company
Mr Aitken and Ms Nasser were seen in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on Friday, running errands and taking items into the luxury house Ms Nasser previously shared with her husband Christopher-John ‘CJ’ Nasser.
It was the first time the new lovers have been seen together since their two marriages ended early last month.
Mr Aitken and his wife Ellie had been long-time friends of the Nasser’s. Mr Nasser was a director of the Aitken’s wealth management company.
Sources close to the two couples said a baby monitor was central to the breakdown of the Nasser’s marriage.
Last week, Mr Aitken confirmed his marriage to Ellie had ended and he was now in a relationship with Ms Nasser.
‘I can confirm I am separated from Ellie Aitken and am in a relationship with Hollie Nasser. My sole focus is my children and I’ll make no further comment,’ he said.
Both Mr Nasser and Ms Aitken were ‘totally blindsided’ by the union, friends say.
For years, the two couples were inseparable – taking international trips together and raising their young families as business partners and best friends.
Dressed casually in shorts and a t-shirt, Mr Aitken waited in a black Audi SUV while Ms Nasser ran items into the terrace house on Friday afternoon.
Ms Nasser emerged from the house again hours later wrapped up in a light knitted sweater.
Dressed casually in a black t-shirt and khaki shorts, Mr Aitken smiled as he stepped out of the black Audi SUV with Ms Nasser in tow
Ms Nasser shared a series of pictures outside the home in 2018 when they bought the home for $2.2 million
The two couples used to travel together and raised their young families as business partners and friends. Pictured dining at Eleven Madison Park in New York before the Covid pandemic
In 2018, Ms Nasser shared a series of pictures with her family posing next to a ‘sold’ sign at that same house when she and Mr Nasser bought the property for $2.2 million.
‘Home’, she captioned the smiling snaps.
Mr Nasser is being supported by the couple’s close friends, many of whom are said to be ‘horrified with the nature of what’s gone on’.
‘We’ve all distanced ourselves as much as we can,’ one friend of Mr Nasser’s told Daily Mail Australia.
He was equally shocked when he was issued an apprehended domestic violence order last month by his estranged wife.
The father-of-two intends to fight the accusations with the case to go before court on December 15.
‘I categorically deny the allegations. They are totally baseless.
‘It is disappointing that others are choosing to make a horrible situation for me and my children even worse.’
Hollie and Ellie were best friends and Ellie was said to be ‘blindsided’ by the relationship
Ellie Aitken, 42, and Charlie Aitken, 48, (pictured together) announced their split in November
Just five years ago, Mr and Ms Nasser were happily married in a lavish ceremony at St Mary’s Cathedral, the new bride happily announcing they’d spend the rest of their lives together.
She constantly described Mr Nasser as ‘the best husband and father’ she and her children could have ever hoped for – sharing photos of extravagant holidays, helicopter trips and days at sea on boats.
‘The most amazing husband and dad,’ she wrote alongside a photo of Mr Nasser and his daughter. ‘You are our everything. We love you so much.’
Ms Nasser was simultaneously telling her best friend she had a ‘perfect family’ and that she and Mr Aitken were ‘the best couple’.
On one occasion, she described Ms Aitken as ‘the most beautiful soul’.
Just a few weeks before splitting with her husband, Ms Aitken posted a gushing birthday message telling Ms Nasser she was ‘so lucky to have you in my life’.
Together the best friends were feted as leading lights of Sydney’s social circuit, regularly photographed at functions and charity events.
Mr Nasser was an investor and director of the Aitkens’ wealth management company, until he resigned in early November.
The relationship has left many shocked as both couples had been friends for years (pictured, Ellie Aitken, in red, alongside former Liberal Party deputy leader Julie Bishop, centre, with Hollie Nasser, in blue, at Ms Aitken’s 40th birthday party in 2019)
Ms Nasser shared an insight into her relationship over the years with pictures of international holidays and helicopter trips
She constantly described Mr Nasser as ‘the best husband and father’ she and her children could have ever hoped for – sharing photos of extravagant holidays, helicopter trips and days at sea on boats
Ms Aitken is a former corporate mergers and acquisitions lawyer at Clayton Utz and one time director of the NSW Polo Association.
She also served as an executive director of the investment business she shared with her husband, Aitken Investment Management. She has since resigned but maintains her role as director.
Until 2016, they lived in a spectacular $11 million mansion in Darling Point before moving to a rental property.
It’s understood Mr Aitken moved out of the family home and is living in a serviced apartment in Bondi Junction.
He’s been hunkering down in the apartment with Ms Nasser, who splits her time between Bondi Junction and her home in Paddington.
Just five years ago, Mr and Ms Nasser were happily married in a lavish ceremony at St Mary’s Cathedral, the new bride happily announcing they’d spend the rest of their lives together
Ellie Aitken (pictured left) shared a post to Instagram where she gushed about her close friend Hollie Nasser (pictured right)
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