Annette Sharp: John Barilaro and wife Deanna have separated

Former deputy premier John Barilaro has quietly separated from his wife Deanna, with the MP telling friends that his marriage is over, Annette Sharp writes.

A year after John Barilaro painted an idyllic picture of a blissful future retirement spent gambolling about his 105ha country property with his wife of 26 years Deanna and their chickens, those plans now appear to be in tatters following word the former NSW deputy premier has quietly separated from his wife.

For weeks the MP has been telling friends his marriage is over.

John Barilaro with wife Deanna and daughter Sofia, then aged one, in 2016. Picture: AAP Image

The Barilaros, who have three daughters, are understood to have separated 12 months ago, reuniting briefly before separating again about three months ago.

The MP is now living in a luxury apartment in Rushcutters Bay while wife Deanna remains in rural Oallen, 100km southeast of Goulburn, where the couple have a magnificent 260 acre estate.

Deanna could not be reached for comment last week.

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The news of the separation comes as federal National Party leader Barnaby Joyce forced a rumour of Barilaro being linked with women on his staff out into the open.

A furious Joyce reacted angrily when his 23-year-old daughter Bridgette, an adviser in Barilaro’s office until last week, was caught up in the speculation.

Joyce publicly slammed the gossip concerning his daughter, calling it “completely wrong, absolutely false and awful” and a “devastating, soul-destroying, career-ending lie”.

Barnaby Joyce with then-wife Natalie and daughter Bridgette at Parliament House in 2016.

He publicly put social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, on notice while privately, so we hear, urging Barilaro to go public and debunk the rumour.

By week’s end Barilaro had still not done so, nor did he respond to a request for comment on Friday.

Barilaro is known to take his privacy and his reputation seriously.

He is currently suing YouTube personality Jordan Shanks, known online as Friendlyjordies, and Google for defamation after the site alleged in two videos Barilaro was a “corrupt conman” who “should be jailed”.

Barilaro has cited the defamation case as motivation for his resignation.

As to Barilaro’s future, he has previously admitted to having designs on a career with the NRL or FIFA, a job he’s said would be “fun”.

It’s understood he has started making inquiries about work outside of politics.

It’s expected the shiny Member for Eden-Monaro with the ageing kewpie doll demeanour will also renew his association with the two private companies he passed directorship of to Deanna in 2012.

Having survived the emotional heartbreak of repeated miscarriages, the Barilaro marriage beat corruption claims in 2016 after Deanna was accused of making donations to her husband’s political party via the two companies, one of which is a property developer.

An investigation cleared Deanna of any wrongdoing.

Deanna, who manages the family BnB, Dungowan, in Oallen, was also unscathed by reports her husband, then newly installed as deputy premier, had failed to declare his business interest in the $1850-a-night, seven-bedroom BnB with lake, boat shed, tennis court and pool — an oversight that represented a conflict of interest. He later registered the property.

Interest in Barilaro’s personal life follows his resignation from politics on Monday, and word former premier Gladys Berejiklian felt compelled to resign her post because she had serious misgivings about leaving the state of NSW in Barilaro’s hands during the forthcoming ICAC investigation.

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