Annette Sharp: Jules Sebastian announces new style venture with Big W

It’s been a busy week for Jules Sebastian, writes Annette Sharp. Days before she took the stand in the court case involving her husband Guy and his former manager, she announced an exciting new business venture.

Timing is everything in show business, so the launch of Jules Sebastian’s new money-making venture was hardly going to go unnoticed by this column in a week in which Sebastian appeared in the witness box at the trial of her husband’s former agent.

Days before the fashion stylist took the stand in the District Court, Big W revealed it had signed Sebastian as a stylist for its new four-part The Design Series.

“Jules Sebastian has teamed up with Big W to give customers some inspiration when it comes to styling their home and wardrobe this Autumn/Winter,” Big W announced.

The department store confirmed that the series will drop on its Instagram site and Sebastian’s.

“The Design Series — Style Your Way, hosted by Jules alongside Big W’s talented design team, showcases how to add simple pops of colour to refresh living spaces, what the essential items are for a capsule wardrobe – a must-have for busy mums – and provides plenty of inspiring takeaways that are easily achievable and won’t break the bank which is what we all love to hear!”

Jules Sebastian’s Big W announcement on her Instagram.

We do love to hear it, particularly as Sebastian’s husband Guy and the stylist herself were allegedly the victims of embezzlement, with criminal proceedings being brought by the Crown against their former manager Titus Day. Day denies all charges.

On Friday Sebastian was questioned by the defence over an accountancy ledger which showed money being paid into an account for her, among which were costs associated with Seven Network appearances in 2015 ($12,000) as well as payments for a Voyager candle range she was promoting and for which one of her signature scents was dubbed Truth.

Infamous ‘headbutt’ adds to trial of intrigue

It’s the alleged headbutt that has become the fascinating focus of the trial of Guy Sebastian’s former agent Titus Day. When Sebastian’s wife, fashion blogger Jules Sebastian, took the stand yesterday to give evidence about the 2012 incident her memory was clouded.

She could not recall key incidents that happened on that “scary” May day and in the period that followed when her husband allegedly headbutted a youth outside the couple’s Clovelly home. Jules Sebastian had been at home alone with the couple’s nine-week old baby son at the time and told the court yesterday the incident had been “very scary”, “very hard” and “very trying”.

Guy Sebastian had come to his wife’s assistance after she called him at the recording studio and informed him a young male was trying “to break into my house”.

The singer has confirmed his helmeted head came into contact with the youth’s head after he rode home on a motorbike.

Jules Sebastian, the wife of Guy Sebastian leaves Downing Centre court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Jules Sebastian confirmed this yesterday when she said when questioned about the headbutt: “There was contact of some degree.”

However, she repeatedly told the court her husband “was not a violent man”. Questioned by defence barrister Dominic Toomey SC, the stylist couldn’t recall key details about the events of May 7, 2012.

Toomey told the court the youth involved in the incident had been charged with trespassing.

The case later went before Waverley Local Court but was withdrawn after the pop star refused to give evidence.

On Friday Mr Toomey asked Ms Sebastian if she recalled what the young man had been charged with.

“I don’t actually,” she responded.

Toomey: “You gave evidence in the Local Court of Waverley?”

Sebastian: “Yes”

Toomey: “Did your husband give evidence?”

Sebastian: “No.”

Toomey pressed the witness on why charges against the youth were withdrawn before her celebrity husband gave evidence.

“You became aware, didn’t you, that the lawyers who were defending that young man had access to the transcript of the Triple 0 call that you made to the police that day … (and was) played in court,” Toomey asked.

“Yes,” the blogger responded.

Toomey: “And it was after that the charges were withdrawn?”

“Yes,” the witness said before saying she was unsure if she and her husband had had a conversation prior to her preparing a police statement.

Titus Day and Guy Sebastian in happier times. Picture supplied

The defence counsel probed: “You became very concerned … after you provided your statement to the police?”

Sebastian: “I don’t remember.”

Toomey: “Are you sure you don’t remember Mrs Sebastian?”

Sebastian: “Yes.”

Toomey: “You expressed concerns didn’t you to (agent’s wife) Courtney Day about the statement you provided?” Sebastian: “Possibly. I don’t remember.”

Toomey: “And you expressed concerns to Mrs Day didn’t you because you were concerned about what you’d put in the statement?”

“I don’t remember,” Sebastian replied. Toomey: “What might your concerns have been”?

“I don’t remember,” Sebastian said.

Toomey: “Did you tell Mrs Day that you were seeing a counsellor because you had concerns about what was in your statement to the police?”

Sebastian: “I don’t remember. I’ve seen counsellors for various things in my life.” Toomey: “Did you see a counsellor about concerns you had in respect to the statement?”

Sebastian: “I don’t know if it was about the statement but the whole matter was very trying and very scary … and I didn’t enjoy it and so it was a very hard time.”

Toomey: “You and your husband discussed what was to go into your statement?”

Sebastian: “I don’t remember.”

Guy Sebastian and his wife Jules.

Toomey: “And you told Mrs Day that was what had happened?”

Sebastian: “I don’t remember.”

Toomey: “So it was possible?”

Sebastian: “I don’t remember.”

The incident relating to Guy Sebastian’s alleged headbutt is said to have triggered Sebastian’s former agent to apply for an AVO against the singer on June 1, 2020.

This occurred after relations between the former close friends and business partners broke down irreconcilably and ended up in countersuits filed with the Federal Court. (Those matters have been suspended while the current matter is before the District Court).

Two days later on June 3, 2020, police arrested Day and brought fraud charges against him. Day denies all charges. Yesterday the court heard for the first time from Day when his police interview from the night of his arrest was played for the jury.

In the interview Day repeatedly tells police he and the singer are involved in Federal Court action.

He denies allegations put to him by arresting officer Detective David Murphy: “I have never taken money that was not owed.”

He adds he is pursuing Sebastian for $1.2 million in unpaid commissions and references a bank account into which he claimed Sebastian had allegedly “hidden” $200,000 in earnings from the agent. A composed Day asked Det Murphy (a cricket teammate of Sebastian’s best friend as the court has previously heard) why Sebastian hadn’t been arrested.

“Why isn’t he being picked up for fraud, for not paying me commissions? I don’t understand it,” Day asked Det Murphy.

The trial resumes next week.

Originally published as Annette Sharp: Jules Sebastian announces new style venture with Big W