Sophie Cachia has revealed that her former husband, AFL star Jaryd Cachia, stood by her when she realised she was attracted to women.
The Australian Survivor star first ‘felt a spark’ with a woman she met at an an AFL event in 2017, and was honest with her then-partner about her feelings.
‘I met [a woman] and my whole world changed,’ the 31-year-old tells this week’s issue of Stellar Magazine.
On her side: Sophie Cachia (right) has revealed that her former husband, AFL star Jaryd Cachia (left), encouraged her when she discovered she was attracted to women
‘He knows how much credit and respect I give him for allowing me to process what I needed to process. He chose soul over ego when it came to helping me,’ she says of her ex husband.
Jaryd, 30, confirms that he chose to take the high road when it came to his wife’s revelation.
‘Being a prick and storming out wasn’t going to help the situation and, at the end of the day, I was never in the dark about anything, and I respect Soph for that,’ he told the publication.
‘He knows how much credit and respect I give him for allowing me to process what I needed to process,’ she says of her former husband. Pictured with their children, son Bobby, 7, and daughter Florence, 4
Love: Jaryd now has a new partner, Jacinta, while Sophie is engaged to WNBL star Maddie Garrick (right)
The couple, who share two children, son Bobby, 7, and daughter Florence, 4, split in 2019 but have remained close, with Sophie saying, ‘Jaryd [is] my best mate. We literally talk like two blokes.’
Jaryd now has a new partner, Jacinta, 30, while Sophie is engaged to Maddie Garrick – and Sophie says it’s like her children have ‘three mums’.
In March, Sophie announced that she is engaged to her girlfriend, WNBL star Maddie, 30.
Close: Sophie says it’s like her children have ‘three mums’. Maddie is pictured with Sophie, Jaryd and their children
Support: Jaryd confirms that he chose to take the high road when it came to his wife’s revelation
She proposed to her ladylove by presenting the athlete with a huge ring encrusted with three diamonds.
Sophie announced the news via Instagram uploading a photo of herself and Maddie, posing together for a loved-up selfie.
In her caption, Sophie explained the significance of the design, writing, ‘To Josh at @uniquediamondsaus thank you for understanding my vision of three diamonds to represent myself, Bobby and Florence in Maddie’s ring’.
Engaged! Sophie announced her engagement news via Instagram in March, uploading a photo of herself and Maddie, posing together for a loved-up selfie
Put a ring on it: She proposed to her ladylove by presenting the athlete with a huge ring encrusted with three diamonds
The Bendigo Spirit player told the Daily Telegraph she was ‘shocked’ by the proposal, that happened in the unrenovated bedroom of the couple’s new home.
‘We both live pretty hectic lives and I loved that it was low-key and just us in that moment,’ said Garrick.
‘She’s my number one. She’s a six-foot glamazon, she’s funny, she’s gorgeous, she’s so smart,’ Sophie told Stellar of her partner.
‘She’s my number one. She’s a six-foot glamazon, she’s funny, she’s gorgeous, she’s so smart,’ Sophie told Stellar of her partner
In a candid interview with the No Filter podcast in July 2020, Sophie explained the status of her relationship with Jaryd, which ended before she began dating women.
‘I had a beautiful man in my life, I still do. He’s an incredible father and an incredible friend to me but why can’t women seek more?’ she said.
‘That married life I realised wasn’t what I wanted. And it wasn’t that I realised, ‘Oh I like women now, I’m going to leave my marriage’, it wasn’t that. I realised I wanted more.’
Before Maddie: Sophie briefly dated Alanna Kennedy (right), a soccer player for the Matildas after splitting with Jaryd. Sophie and Alanna broke up in early 2020
Sophie briefly dated Matilda’s star Alanna Kennedy after meeting through work in 2019. The pair split in early 2020.
‘She was overseas for the first five to six months. We didn’t dive straight into a relationship but we definitely connected straight away,’ she said.
‘In a way, [Kennedy] changed my life in the sense that… obviously I dated women and men, but she made me realise I can actually see myself in a relationship with a woman long term and I can see myself having a life there.’
Before she married Jaryd in April 2016, Sophie said she’d never dated women.
Past: Before she married Jaryd in April 2016, Sophie said she’d never dated women
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