Former Australian cricketer Michael Clarke and wife Kyly have split: Timeline of their marriage
Former Australian cricketer Michael Clarke and his wife Kyly were said to be lovers for life after being high school sweethearts. This is how their lives changed before they split.
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Former Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke and wife Kyly officially called it quits just 12 months on from rejecting suggestions their relationship was in strife.
It is also nearly eight years since they tied the knot in a fairytale wedding at the Wolgan Valley Resort in the NSW Blue Mountains.
Both of them have been quick to post photos related to their four-year-old daughter Kelsey Lee the day after their break-up was announced, but both of them had not posted a photo of their family together since their last Christmas photo with Santa Claus at a Westfield shopping mall last year.
While they did not comment on why they split, it comes a few years after Clarke was caught cozying up next to his assistant, Sasha Armstrong, on the back of a superyacht in Sydney Harbour.
Kyly has previously said they “never were and never will be splitting” when commenting on the yacht saga.
The couple met when they both studied more than two decades ago at Westfields Sports High School in Fairfield in Sydney’s west.
They issued a joint statement saying: “After living apart for some time, we have made the difficult decision to separate as a couple, amicably.”
“With the greatest of respect for each other, we’ve come to the mutual conclusion that this is the best course for us to take while committed to the co-parenting of our daughter,” it read.
“We’d like to acknowledge the wonderful support we’ve had from family and friends, and at this time request privacy so that we can manage this next stage of our lives.”
The duo, both 38, have agreed on a financial settlement and on arrangements to co-parent their daughter after they separated five months ago when Clarke moved out of their Vaucluse home, and has since relocated a beachfront pad the pair own in Bondi.
This is how their romance began before their marriage ended.
1981 – Clarke was born to a middle-class family on April 2. Boldy was born later the same year on August 9.
1999 – Clarke left Year 11 at Westfields Sports High School – where he first met Boldy – to play cricket professionally. He was an AIS Australian Cricket Academy scholarship holder until 2000.Boldy, then aged 18, started modelling and acting in 1999. She won the Miss Indy 1999 and represented Australia in Face of Tourism 1999 in Singapore.
2000 – Boldy went on to represent Australia in Miss Queen of the World 2000 in Germany.
2001 – Boldy was the Miss Australia in Miss Venus Swimwear Model 2001 in the US.
2002 – Boldy, who was peroxide blonde at the time, won the Australian Swimwear Model of the Year and graced screens nationwide while partaking in reality television show, Temptation Island. It was the same year Clarke played at an English Club Team (Ramsbottom Cricket Club).
2003 – Boldy wins Miss Adrenalin Sports Model of the Year, Miss Hawaiian 2003, FHM Miss Snow Bunny 2003 and Miss Manly Sea Eagle NRL 2003.
2004 – Clarke had a test debut against India at Bangalore in October, despite having a first-class average below 40.
2005 – Clarke was awarded the Allan Border Medal in recognition of his performance in the 2004 calendar year. Later the same year Clarke was dropped from the Test team due to his poor form during the 2005 Ashes series. He was also diagnosed with skin cancer.
2006 – Clarke was recalled for the tour of South Africa. He was then picked over Andrew Symonds for the April 2006 Tests against Bangladesh.
2007 – Clarke and Boldy “bump into each other in a bar” and recognise each other.
Clarke told News Corp in 2017: “‘Kyly Boldy’ I said and she said, ‘Yes’ and sort of recognised something about me but couldn’t put two and two together. Eventually she said, ‘I recognise your face, are you the cricket player?’ I said, ‘Yes, we went to school together’ and things started to come back. We had a drink and spoke for about half an hour and as we were leaving the bar I said to my mate, ‘Can you ask Kyly for her number?’
“My best mate went and asked for her number and she said, ‘If Michael wants my number he can come and ask for it himself’ and when my mate came and told me that I was out of there, I was gone. So we left the venue and didn’t speak for about five years until we reconnected again.”
Their meeting came as word started around Clarke and model Lara Bingle – now Worthington – being an item in January. In November, Clarke also notched up his fifth Test century against Sri Lanka in a two Test series.
2008 – About a year after dating, Clarke proposed to Bingle in New York with a $200,000 engagement ring. It was 4.7 carats and their engagement was announced on March 25.
Shortly after their engagement, in April, Clarke was named vice-captain of the Australian side.
He then missed the start of Australia’s 2008 tour of the West Indies after Bingle’s father died.
Australia retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy the same year as a result of Clarke’s wickets, which also kept the nation’s world record equalling 16 match win streak alive.
2009 – Boldy’s TV ambitions extend to presenting for The Weather Channel.
2010 – Clarke’s public relations firm announced the ending of the engagement with Lara Bingle on 12 March. The pair ended their two-year engagement in 2010, after Clarke made a snap decision to fly home from a cricket tour in New Zealand for “personal reasons”.
Five months later, Clarke and Boldy start dating. Clarke also had to testify at court hearing, alongside Bingle, over the theft of her $200,000 Aston Martin. The hearing came a week after the couple split.
2011 – In April, Clarke celebrates his 30th birthday with a dinner at a private home in Cronulla. He also started house hunting to move out of the Bondi fishbowl he live in with Bingle, which she adored.
2012 – Michael wins the Allan Border Medal in 2012 with Kyly by his side.
Clarke and Boldy marry on May 15 at the Wolgan Valley in New South Wales’ Blue Mountains. Boldy earnt a spot as one of WHO’s Most Beautiful People the same year, and Clarke made his debut in the Indian Premier League for Pune Warriors India.
The couple were also seen in December at the at the Christmas Day lunch for the Australian cricket team ahead of the Boxing Day test in 2012.
2013 – Clarke became the captain of the Sydney Thunder in Australia’s Twenty20 Big Bash League. Unfortunately, as a result of injury and international team commitments, he never actually played a game for the Thunder.
He also won the Allan Border medal again.
2014 — The couple are seen at the Sydney Fashion Festival together.
November 2014: Kyly is with Michael at the launch of his book, Captains Diary. Picture: AAP
December 2014: Kyly is still beside Michael as his cricket career continues.
2015 – In January, Kyly and Michael are on the social scene at Bondi Icebergs on Australia Day.
In August, Michael announced he would retire from all forms of cricket after the final Test of the 2015 Ashes series following a difficult series in terms of both his and the team’s performance.
In November, they welcomed their daughter Kelsey Lee into the world.
Again, they attended the Allan Border Medal gala event together in the same year.
2016 – Kyly appears with Michael again and their daughter Kelsey Lee at the launch of his new autobiography, My Story.
Michael was also by Kyly’s side for the launch of her book True to You in the same year.
In October, Clarke did a 60 Minutes interview where he said he did not flush the $200,000 diamond engagement ring he gave Bingle down the toilet.
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2017 – Kyly publicly comments on how strong her marriage is with Clarke. She shares tips to a healthy and loving relationship, saying for Valentine’s Day couples should remember to have dates after having children, the importance of touch, the benefits of a massage candle and conversation.
They also posed up for Kyly’s Lyfestyled massage candles in a Valentine’s Day campaign.
They were also seen out and about at events like the opening of a Cirque du Soleil show, Toruk.
2018 – Clarke was caught looking cozy on the back of a yacht with his assistant Sasha Armstrong. Kyly denies ever splitting up, but reports say she was unhappy after the photos emerged.
October 2019: Kyly lands a TV gig as part of Seven’s House Rules: High Stakes team in 2020.
December 24, 2019: The last family photo of the Clarkes from their time with Santa Claus at a Westfield mall. It was posted at Christmas.
2020 – January 28: Michael posts a photo with his daughter at Bondi where he has moved to after separating with Kyly.
February 5: Michael posts a photo of himself at his Bondi apartment with hashtags: #bondibeach #life #lovethisplace
February 12: Michael Clarke and his wife Kyly announce plans to divorce.
Michael posts a photo to Instagram referring to their daughter saying: “Right beside you.”
Kyly posts a photo to Instagram of herself with Kelsey Lee.
Originally published as Former Australian cricketer Michael Clarke and wife Kyly have split: Timeline of their marriage