Shelley Sullivan’s estranged husband has broken his silence in the wake of the couple’s abrupt marriage breakdown – as rumours swirl a third party was involved.
Shelley, the multimillionaire founder of popular skincare brand MCoBeauty, and her accountant husband Anthony parted ways two weeks ago after an explosive argument.
The heated row prompted Anthony, 46, to leave for the United States, while his wife moved into the InterContinental in Double Bay. He is believed to be returning to Sydney soon.
‘The stories circulating are incorrect, malicious and hurtful to our family,’ Anthony said in a statement to Daily Mail Australia.
‘Shelley and I have separated for our own private reasons and no third party is involved.’
Shelley and Anthony Sullivan pictured in happier times
![Kristin Fisher has slammed rumours that she is involved in the marriage breakdown as 'unequivocally false'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/22/06/85180857-13445381-Kristin_Fisher_has_slammed_rumours_that_she_is_involved_in_the_m-a-3_1716356400473.jpg)
Kristin Fisher has slammed rumours that she is involved in the marriage breakdown as ‘unequivocally false’
Anthony is an accountant and CEO of Quantaco which provides financial services to companies in the hospitality trade.
Shelley, 50, is celebrated as one of Australia’s most successful businesswomen.
She made her mark in the 1990s with her model and talent agency before launching her thriving ‘masstige’ beauty brand, ModelCo, in 2016.
The couple had known each other for years and were friends before they tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in Point Piper in 2016.
‘Our personal relationship grew out of our business partnership, leading to our marriage seven years ago – a marriage built on mutual love and respect,’ Mr Sullivan said on Wednesday.
‘We jointly own and run businesses across finance, technology, professional services and cosmetics.
‘We remain close and are working through next steps.’
His statement comes one day after the couple’s friend, Kristin Fisher, slammed rumours she was the ‘other woman’ behind the couple’s split.
‘This is absolutely not true,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
‘I am so sick of being the clickbait in all of these stories and having to defend myself over something that I’ve got nothing, and I mean NOTHING, to do with.’
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/22/04/85088563-13445381-image-a-26_1716350198869.jpg)
The couple split abruptly two weeks ago, with both the beauty mogul and her accountant husband moving out of their marital home in Bellevue Hill
![Reports have wrongly insinuated that Kristin (pictured left) was involved in the split](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/22/04/85129835-13445381-Reports_have_wrongly_insinuated_that_Kristin_pictured_left_was_i-a-27_1716350199011.jpg)
Reports have wrongly insinuated that Kristin (pictured left) was involved in the split
![Shelley was seen in Sydney's financial district being comforted by her mum](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/22/06/85088053-13445381-Shelley_was_seen_in_Sydney_s_financial_district_being_comforted_-a-6_1716356401025.jpg)
Shelley was seen in Sydney’s financial district being comforted by her mum
The Double Bay eyebrow queen doubled down on the false rumours, admitting she is romantically involved with somebody else.
‘The truth is I’ve only been with one person of late,’ Kristin said.
On Monday, one day after news of the well-heeled couples split broke, Shelley was seen being consoled by her mother in Sydney’s financial district, where her multi-million-dollar business is based.
The pair looked visibly distressed as they shared a tender moment in the midst of her marital breakdown.
Shelley told Daily Mail Australia she would not be commenting on the marriage break-up.
‘Shelley is absolutely shattered by the split,’ a close friend told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Anthony was her rock, she’s devastated – her marriage was everything to her.’
The businesswoman’s close-knit group of friends are doing their best to support her as she deals with the split.
‘She has an amazing network that has just put their arms around her at this time,’ the friend added.
Shelley and Anthony have since moved out of their $11,000-a-week heritage-listed rental mansion Leura in Bellevue Hill.
![The couple were living in the heritage listed mansion Leura in Sydney's eastern suburbs](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/22/06/85088089-13445381-The_couple_were_living_in_the_heritage_listed_mansion_Leura_in_S-a-4_1716356400477.jpg)
The couple were living in the heritage listed mansion Leura in Sydney’s eastern suburbs
![Shelley Sullivan is now calling celebrity hotspot Intercontinental Double bay home](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/22/06/85088079-13445381-Shelley_Sullivan_is_now_calling_celebrity_hotspot_Intercontinent-a-5_1716356400478.jpg)
Shelley Sullivan is now calling celebrity hotspot Intercontinental Double bay home
The beauty boss launched her brand’s Tan Airbrush In a Can more than 20 years ago and it still sells a bottle every 36 seconds worldwide.
She is also credited with introducing the world to the first heated eyelash curlers.
ModelCo has overtaken legacy beauty brands like L’Oréal, Maybelline and Rimmel in the Australian market.
The likes of Kendall Jenner, Hailey Baldwin, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Elyse Knowles have represented the internationally famous line.
In 2022, MCoBeauty was approached by a large Australian conglomerate that acquired a portion of the business.
The brand is on track to generate $247million in the 2024 financial year.
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk