Ex-girlfriend Jennifer Cruz Cole on rollercoaster relationship with Ultra Tune tycoon Sean Buckley
The ex-girlfriend accused of secretly recording interactions with Ultra Tune franchise tycoon Sean Buckley has alleged their union included a lie detector fidelity test and “set-up” fake “best friend”.
Gold Coast
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THE ex-girlfriend accused of secretly recording interactions with Ultra Tune franchise tycoon Sean Buckley reveals she was subjected to a lie detector test of her fidelity and alleged a “best friend” who entered her life when she got pregnant was a fake to keep tabs on her.
The revealing interview with former bikini model and nurse Jennifer Cruz Cole comes days after the Bulletin revealed Mr Buckley was desperately trying to gag her and an ex staff member from releasing the audio recordings of him.
Mr Buckey denies any knowledge of the alleged fake “best friend” but admits to making her take a lie detector test.
After confirmation interstate police have been handed a secret recording of Mr Buckley made by Ms Cruz Cole, she has opened up on their whirlwind romance which started mid-2017 with them “inseparable” living a “lavish lifestyle”.
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She says she genuinely loved and was “fascinated” by the wealthy Ultra Tune owner whose roadside assist and car repair operation numbers 300 franchises.
The then working elective surgery nurse says they became an item in July 2017 after meeting at Melbourne’s Crown casino years after she first starred in one of Ultra Tune’s infamously controversial TV ads.
She was in the most recent one filmed on the Gold Coast in late 2019 with Pamela Anderson, saying it was her idea to have the Baywatch icon “flip the script” and rescue men.
Ultra Tune TV ads are infamous for males saving stranded women. Mr Buckley had originally called Ms Cole’s Pamela Anderson concept the “stupidest idea ever”, Ms Cole said, before he later adopted it – spending $500,000 to make it happen.
They lived at Crown in Melbourne for a large chunk of 2020 but now have no contact - after breaking up over a month ago - despite being parents to a two-year-old daughter.
She described a rollercoaster 2020 which shifted from talk late in the year of an engagement and shopping for a ring to breaking up in December and feeling she’s now “drowning” as a single mum in a legal minefield without a lawyer.
Early in the relationship, they “were inseparable” Ms Cole said: “We just got along really well. He was fun to be with, it was easy, obviously there was the nice luxury part of life.”
Ms Cole said she prefers older men:“There is less bullshit and I find their stories fascinating - they have been through life.
“Hot guys who are young and cool are good to look at but I like being courted. It was a lavish lifestyle. I was completely delusional these kind of people existed - I had never been exposed to that kind of money.
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“I actually was fascinated by Sean – the part he showed me. We had some amazing times together which I definitely know were genuine.”
Asked how she feels now, she replied: “Nothing. I loved him which is why I covered so many things up but now I don’t feel anything. I wish this was not happening but I have tried everything for this not to happen so at least I can stand there and say I have tried and you are not going to let me go.
“I always knew he was cunning but I didn’t realise he was all for one and one for Sean.”
Ms Cole says their messy break up is “not about money” but reveals she has gone from a weekly “allowance” of $1750 reducing to $1250 then $1000 - which will now become $463.
Her overwhelming emotion is “sad because I didn’t want this…even though a lot of wrong was done to me, doing that back doesn’t…an eye for an eye doesn’t work like that.”
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Earlier this week it was revealed Ms Cole had made recordings during the latter part of their relationship – and lawyers for Mr Buckley had asked for signed undertakings from her and ex senior Ultra Tune staffer Anthony Swords to retrieve or destroy them by 2pm last Friday.
Neither has done so and a legal representative for Mr Buckley – who is back on the Gold Coast - says an application for injunctions to stop use or dissemination of the recordings will be lodged in the Federal Court.
Ms Cole said she recorded some of her interactions with Mr Buckley due to things happening in the relationship that she wanted proof of as “no one is going to believe me”.
Mr Swords is the former general manager of GattoCorp – a debt collection agency using the surname of underworld identity turned businessman Mick Gatto. He more recently worked for Ultra Tune in a range of roles including as a senior risk manager, senior management and for Ultra Tune Thoroughbreds
She adds it’s ironic she and Mr Swords are both facing legal threats over the recordings because she and Mr Swords weren’t friends and actively disliked each other: “We kind of thought s--- of each other. But when I played something for him, he realised ‘holy f---, she’s not a crazy one’.”
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Mr Swords told the Bulletin: “She is alienated from everyone. She has no friends she can trust. I really feel for her.”
Ms Cole also said she had tried to work as an agency nurse to relieve COVID-positive medical staff at the height of the pandemic in Victoria, but only did a few because Mr Buckley considered himself in the high-risk category for coronavirus being 60 and was unhappy with the risk of her doing it. She claims he offered to pay her double what she would have made for the shifts.
She alleged a “best friend” who entered her life when pregnant was “a complete set up – she was there to keep an eye on me”.
Asked about a “best friend” being a fake, Mr Buckley’s lawyer said: “He knew nothing about it, doesn’t know who she is talking about.”
Mr Buckley’s lawyer acknowledged the lie detector test was “to check her fidelity”.
“He had bought a ring. They were going to get engaged. (But) the test was void because her heart rate was too high. It’s just a normal request. It may sound quirky but people do that.
“Sean is on the Gold Coast. There has never been allegations of hurting her, threatening her, why would she need protection from a person like that (Mr Swords). We see Jen as vulnerable.”
Mr Buckley’s lawyer said regarding her work as a nurse during the pandemic: “That’s just a relationship thing. Working as a nurse and coming home to a child is high risk. It’s not that he was saying don’t work - as a frontline nurse - I don’t think there is anything bad about it.”
Mr Buckley’s lawyer added he would pay what he was legally required to for their child: “Sean says he has spent $300,000 on her rent, hand bags, jewellery. She has done very well. The relationship has broken down and he is not meant to pay for everything in her life any more.”
Originally published as Ex-girlfriend Jennifer Cruz Cole on rollercoaster relationship with Ultra Tune tycoon Sean Buckley
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