Inside Tim Paine’s tearful apology to his wife, family and fans as he admits to sexting his coworker and steps down as Australian cricket captain
- Tim Paine has issued a public and emotional apology to his wife of five years
- Back in 2017, Paine sent a lewd picture and messages to a female colleague
- The incident was investigated by Cricket Australia and he was ‘exonerated’
- But Paine stepped down as captain on Friday after sexting saga was made public
Tim Paine has issued a public and emotional apology to his wife of five years for the ‘hurt and pain’ he caused her when he sent lewd messages to a female colleague.
The father-of-two tearfully resigned as the captain of the Australian cricket team on Friday afternoon, a short time after he learned the sexting scandal would be made public.
Back in 2017, when he was first promoted back into the Australian side, Paine began sending flirtatious text messages to an employee at Cricket Tasmania.
The messages progressed and, on November 23, the woman claims he sent her an unsolicited photo of his penis.
‘Will you want to taste my d**?? F**k me, I’m seriously hard,’ one of the messages he sent to the woman read.
Back in 2017, when he was first promoted back into the Australian side, Paine began sending flirtatious text messages to an employee at Cricket Tasmania
Tim Paine has issued a public and emotional apology to his wife of five years for the ‘hurt and pain’ he caused her when he sent lewd messages to a female colleague
While news broke of the scandal on Friday, Paine said he and his wife worked through the betrayal at the time and that she’d forgiven and supported him.
As he wiped tears from his eyes, Paine detailed how he thought the saga was ‘behind us’ and he’d be able to ‘focus entirely on the team as I have done for the last three or four years’.
‘I recently became aware that this private text exchange was going to become public. On reflection, my actions in 2017 do not meet the standard of an Australian cricket captain.’
Cricket Australia is believed to have found out in June 2018 and launched an investigation, along with Cricket Tasmania.
The woman interacted with Paine on and off for about a year, and the leaked messages were flirtatious by both parties.
Seven months after the incident, the woman sent a letter to Cricket Australia and Cricket Tasmania, as well as the Australian Human Rights Commission, complaining of sexual harassment.
The woman took issue with ‘Mr Paine’s sexually explicit, unwelcome and unsolicited photograph of his genitals in addition to the graphic sexual comments’.
Paine was brought it as the saviour of Australian cricket after captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner were suspended, along with opener Cameron Bancroft
The father-of-two tearfully resigned as the captain of the Australian cricket team on Friday afternoon, a short time after he learned the sexting scandal would be made public.
Tim Paine’s rise and dramatic fall in sexting scandal
Australian captain Tim Paine walks to change ends during a cricket test against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, in Sydney, Australia on Jan. 9, 2021
2010: Tim Paine makes his Test debut against Pakistan, replacing injured Brad Haddin, but is dumped upon the incumbent’s return
April 2016: Paine marries Bonnie Maggs
November 17, 2017: Granted shock recall for Ashes series
November 22-23, 2017: Paine sends lewd messages to a female coworker on the eve and morning of the first Ashes Test in Brisbane. The pair had exchanged texts throughout the year
January 2018: Selected for squad to tour South Africa
March 25, 2018: Appointed interim captain after Steve Smith and David Warner stood down over ‘sandpapergate’ ball tampering scandal
March 28, 2018: Paine is appointed captain for the 4th Test of the series, becoming the 46th captain of the Australian side
April 2018: Awarded a national contract by Cricket Australia
June 2018: Cricket Australia and Cricket Tasmania become aware of the messages and launch an investigation, following a complaint from the woman. Paine claims he was exonerated during the investigation. His wife Bonnie was aware of the messages but chose to stick by him
2018 – 2021: Paine continues as Test captain, retaining the Ashes in England in 2019
November 19, 2021: Paine steps down as full details of the explicit messages surface
Paine specified during his press conference that he was exonerated by these investigations, which found he did not breach the code of conduct.
But he acknowledged the act was a particularly bad look as the face of Australian cricket and volunteered to step aside as captain of the team to focus on his family.
‘I’m deeply sorry for the hurt and pain that I have caused to my wife, my family and to the other party. I’m sorry for any damage that this does to the reputation of our sport and I believe that it is the right decision for me to stand down as captain effective immediately,’ he said.
‘I’ve been blessed with a wonderful, loving and supportive family and it breaks my heart to know how much that I have let them down. They have always stood by me, been my most loyal fans and I’m indebted to them for their support.’
Paine was brought in in 2018 as the saviour of Australian cricket after captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner were suspended, along with opener Cameron Bancroft.
The trio were caught on camera using concealed sandpaper to rough up the ball during the tour of South Africa.
Paine’s wife has known of the indiscretion for years, and the couple reportedly have worked through it
Australia’s Test cricket captain Tim Paine, a father-of-three who has been married to his wife Bonnie (pictured together) for five years, will step down from the team amid a shock sexting scandal
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