Natalie Bassingthwaighte finds new love with woman after split from husband

Aussie entertainer Natalie Bassingthwaighte has gone public with the very big life changes she’s undergone recently in an emotional new interview.

Much-loved Australian performer Natalie Bassingthwaighte has today broken her silence, speaking for the first time about her recent split from her husband of 12 years – and her new relationship with a woman.

In a wide-ranging and at times highly emotional interview with Stellar magazine and its podcast Something To Talk About, Bassingthwaighte opens up about the big life changes she’s been through recently, starting with her recent split from second husband (and longtime Rogue Traders bandmate) Cameron McGlinchey.

Natalie Bassingthwaighte speaks her truth in today’s Stellar magazine. Picture: Chris Ferguson

Reports surfaced in August that the couple, parents to two children, had gone their separate ways. While Bassingthwaighte, 48, stayed silent at the time, she says now the media interest in their split was “challenging” and “overwhelming.”

“[I got a] phone call; I’d been waiting for it to happen, but [was] trying to protect our inner sanctum for so long, trying to navigate grief and really sit in it and feel it all. It hurts, trying to navigate what the next bits look like, especially as a couple who have two children, who work together,” she says.

Natalie Bassingthwaighte for Stellar magazine. Picture: Chris Ferguson

Nat's ex-husband Cam and their two children.

“So having public interest, I won’t lie, was terrifying from the get-go. Since it first happened, I was waiting for someone to say something. And it just felt like I wasn’t ready. The hardest part was getting a phone call to say, the media know … they want a comment. I felt very overwhelmed.”

And Bassingthwaighte says she doesn’t want others to view her split from McGlinchey as a failure, because they certainly don’t look at it that way.

“We had a very successful marriage. It was very beautiful. We’ve done amazing things together, achieved a lot and have two incredible children. We admire and respect each other, and there’s love there. It’s just different,” she says.

Nat Bass is now dating “a woman who makes my heart happy.” Picture: Getty

Also different: Her “beautiful” new relationship “with a woman who makes my heart smile and makes me happy.”

Bassingthwaighte is clearly enamoured with her new female partner, who she has not yet publicly identified – but she says that she was initially “terrified” about revealing her new same-sex relationship to the world, and sought advice from her ex about how to handle it.

“I rang Cam and I was hysterical. And he said, ‘It’s OK. This is your truth and you now have to sit in it and stand in it and own it.’ So to have that support from him has been nothing short of beautiful, and I’m very grateful for it,” she says.

“Now I can speak from my own mouth, on my own truth, and that feels rewarding. I’m OK. Everything is OK, and everyone is OK. We’re in a good space. It feels liberating. But before? It’s terrifying and it’s debilitating because you’re waiting for someone to snap a picture of you and make it salacious. To live like that is … oh, it’s not fun. And I’ve been doing that for a little while now. So it’s nice to say it.”

Now, Bassingthwaighte and her ex are “co-parenting beautifully, and I’m proud of us for that.”

She paid tribute to his “strength, courage and resilience” in a recent heartfelt Father’s Day post, and says they remain close – so close, in fact, that they still live together.

“We’ve been on family holidays together; at this point, we’re still living in the same house together. It’s a little bit crazy considering everything, but we’re doing it.

“If I can continue to show our kids that life isn’t perfect, it will throw some things at you but, ultimately, if you stand in integrity and with love, respect and kindness for everyone around you – including yourself – then it will radiate.”

Read the full interview with Natalie Bassingthwaighte inside The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), Sunday Herald Sun (VIC), The Sunday Mail (QLD) and Sunday Mail (SA)