Who is former Married At First Sight star Stacey Hampton?
The former Married At First Sight star has hit the headlines again this week. But who is Stacey Hampton behind the celebrity, the social media and the court cases?
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She made her name on a reality TV show, has dealt with controversy in the courts, and amassed a small army of followers on social media platforms – and on OnlyFans.
But beyond the glitz and the headlines, Stacey Hampton’s tale includes tragedy, a quest for love, involvement with an infamous outlaw bikie and plenty of high-end merchandise.
RISE TO THE TOP
Adelaide’s Stacey Hampton shot to fame in 2020 on controversial reality TV show Married At First Sight, which brings brides and grooms together for the first time at the altar.
The law and nursing graduate was matched with fellow Adelaidean Michael Goonan on Nine’s social experiment.
The volatile “marriage” didn’t last, however, after Goonan was rumoured to have cheated on her with a fellow contestant.
While her search for love has yet to work out, Hampton, 30, used her celebrity to launch a successful OnlyFans account in 2021, initially charging subscribers $35 for personal photos and videos.
She also has a huge following on social media, with more than 200,000 Instagram fans who watch her flaunt her lavish lifestyle.
This includes first-class overseas trips to New Zealand and Dubai, designer accessories such as Chanel bags and high-end jewellery.
Hampton’s life has also been tinged with sadness.
Her father passed away when she was a baby and in 2016, her brother was killed in a motorbike accident.
Tragedy again hit Hampton in September 2022 – also because of a motorcycle accident.
DEATH OF A REBEL
Shane Smith, 38, died in September 2022 after his motorbike crashed in an early-morning incident on Milne Rd, Redwood Park.
He was riding at the time with a passenger, a 45-year-old from Clearview, who suffered non life-threatening injuries.
Mr Smith was a senior member of the Rebels Motorcycle Club, and his death came just days after that of fellow member Bradley Daniele.
The Rebels MC Malta Facebook page paid tribute to Mr Smith in a social media post.
“Today marks another dark day for our club, we’re all in disbelief of the passing of our Brother Shane,” the club wrote.
Mr Smith was also Hampton’s former fiance and the father of her two sons, Kosta and Kruz.
The former couple had started dating when Hampton was 19 and had split in July 2017, long before her TV career.
Hampton shared a heartfelt message on Instagram in the days following Mr Smith’s death.
She thanked those who had sent messages of support, saying she appreciated “every single one of you”.
“Unfortunately, with life, it goes on,” she wrote.
“The boys need to try and live a normal life considering and I’m trying my hardest to make sure they smile.
“It’s waking up every day knowing they are hurting, that hurts the most.”
“BYE, ADELAIDE”
The glamorous former reality bride has also had a couple of brushes with the law.
In May 2020, Stacey admitted she breached the state’s border restrictions during the pandemic, when police alleged she should have been in self-isolation.
She was eventually spared a conviction and fined $1000 by a magistrate in June 2021, who ordered her to pay nearly $700 in additional court fees.
Two additional charges were dropped by prosecutors.
During her case, Hampton posted an Instagram video showing herself taking bags to Adelaide Airport, with the caption “Bye Adelaide”.
But her biggest court case would arise from events that occurred in the aftermath of Mr Smith’s death, as Hampton and her children mourned the anniversary of his passing.
THE WARRANT DISPUTE
In December 2023, Hampton took Federal Court action against the Australian Federal Police and Services Australia over their raid of her home three months earlier.
She asked the court to overturn the warrants by which the agencies entered and searched her home, as well as her Mercedes Benz and her Porsche.
After knocking down a bid to have her case thrown out, Hampton told the court the agencies had “abused their power” and used warrants that lacked specificity.
She said Services Australia had interviewed her, about her disability support payments, while she and her sons were upset and emotional about the early-morning raid.
Hampton claimed the warrants said only that officers were investigating “income over 1 1/2 years”, and that she learned much later their inquiries related to “a website” featuring “content of hers”.
Justice Stephen McDonald asked if the website was OnlyFans, and Hampton replied it was “not merely a website”.
“OnlyFans is a company name, they do more than that, it’s a big company,” she said.
“They operate on many, many levels.”
Hampton argued that, because of the alleged deficiencies in the warrant, any evidence gathered during the raid cannot be considered in any investigation.
She has not been accused of wrongdoing or charged with any offence.
Counsel for the federal government, meanwhile, argued the warrants were sufficiently specific and should not be overturned.
Justice McDonald will hand down his decision at a later date.
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