Nadia Bartel: WAG’s surprise move after white powder video scandal
After being caught snorting white powder Nadia Bartel’s public image was in tatters – until she did something not many would have predicted.
It was a misstep that no-one saw coming – one of Australia’s most savvy influencers caught out on the very platform that made her famous, allegedly breaking multiple laws at a time when many people’s emotions were at an all-time-high.
Nadia Bartel being caught snorting white powder off a Kmart plate at an illegal party during Melbourne’s harsh lockdown will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the biggest Australian celeb scandals of all time.
But what’s far more interesting is how the WAG turned successful businesswoman has responded to the incident which could have been career suicide.
Nadia first entered the public eye as a fashion blogger and magazine advertising account manager dating Geelong Cats star Jimmy Bartel.
But their picture perfect relationship came crashing down in 2019, amid speculation about a trip Jimmy took to London earlier that year where his later girlfriend Lauren Mand had been living at the time.
The split drew public sympathy for Nadia, who took a dignified approach in response to her estranged husband’s new relationship.
Nadia instead channelled her energy into her brand ambassador work as well as launching new business Henne and Spray Aus to huge success in the 12 months after.
‘You have to keep going’
Nadia began 2021 on a high thanks to the success of her businesses, most notably her clothing label Henne which had become the unofficial work from home uniform for many during the pandemic thanks to its relaxed basics.
She also had a range of lucrative Instagram endorsement deals with the likes of JSHealth Vitamins, La Roche Posay, Ole Henriksen and makeup label Marc Jacobs Beauty.
When the coronavirus pandemic saw Melbourne enter its fourth lockdown in May, Nadia reached out to her 560,000 Instagram followers to see how they were doing amid the stay-at-home orders.
“So here we go again guys, another lockdown for Melbourne, we know we’ve got to do it, but how are we all feeling?” she asked in an Instagram story video.
By August, Nadia said juggling lockdown with her two sons Aston and Henley had become the “new normal”.
“With kids and homeschooling and Henne and Spray Aus, we’re all trying to make it work,” she told the Herald Sun.
“You have to keep going and find a way.”
Nadia ‘embarrassed’ by white powder footage
But just a few weeks later on September 2, Nadia attended an illegal gathering at a Richmond address in Melbourne, rumoured to have coincided with the finalisation of her divorce from Jimmy.
Footage of Nadia appearing to snort a white powder was posted to Instagram “accidentally” by business partner Ellie Pearson.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Ellie had a “smashed phone screen” that led to her publicly posting it rather than private messaging it to her sister Bonnie Pearson.
The video was public for 10 minutes before it was taken down, but it had already begun circulating online.
Less than 24 hours later Nadia had taken to Instagram to issue a grovelling apology, saying she was “embarrassed” by her actions.
“Hi Everyone, I have let you all down by my actions,” she wrote.
“I take full responsibility and I am committed to taking all necessary steps to ensure I make better choices in future.
“To my family and friends, my business partners and the public health workers trying to keep us all safe, I am embarrassed and remorseful.
“I am truly and deeply sorry. I hope I can earn your forgiveness and, in time, your trust. Nadia.”
‘Not many people are stupid enough to have themselves filmed'
But Nadia’s apology didn’t cut through to many people, who labelled her response “gutless” and accused her of not going far enough to make amends.
She was ruthlessly mocked online over the incident, with several poking fun at the fact one of her lucrative endorsement deals was with a lingerie company called Fine Lines.
Former Victoria Police Commissioner Kel Glare labelled Nadia a “moron” as “not many people are stupid enough to have themselves filmed doing an illegal act”.
Police would later fine Nadia $5452 for breaching Victoria’s stay home order, as well as three other women who “failed to comply with requirements in relation to a private public gathering”.
But despite initial reports Nadia was co-operating with authorities, Victorian Police Commissioner Shane Patton later confirmed there would be no criminal charges over the white powder she was filmed snorting.
“We have been unable to determine what the substance on the plate was,” he told ABC Radio.
There was also financial fallout for Nadia – several brands she had once spruiked on Instagram quietly distanced themselves from her, while one of her biggest deals with JSHealth Vitamins issued a statement rebuking her behaviour.
“We, like many of you, are shocked and disappointed by the recent actions of an individual who has endorsed our products,” it said in a statement posted on Instagram.
“JSHealth fundamentally supports all public health orders in place to keep us safe in this hugely difficult time for so many. We do not tolerate illicit behaviour.
“Please know we have taken immediate action and will no longer be working with this individual – or anyone who does not align with our values.”
‘She’s back and better than ever’
Such a public mistake and rebuking would be hard for many to come back from, but that’s exactly what Nadia has done in the months since the white powder video.
After remaining silent on Instagram for six weeks, the mother-of-two made a low key return to the platform, sharing a post about Henne’s new range of denim.
The post was met with congratulatory comments from many followers who declared “she’s back and better than ever” and “you’ve been so missed”.
Since then Nadia has been slowly and steadily sharing more on Instagram, posting first just about Henne but now also sharing photos of her two sons and outings with friends.
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Nadia is yet to comment on the scandal, however, appears determined not to retreat from the public eye or the business success she worked so hard for amid personal heartache.
There’s one brand deal in particular that has resurfaced in the last two months that seems to say the most about her future plans.
Early in December, she posted an Instagram story promoting Fine Lines lingerie – a nod perhaps to the fact that no amount of backlash was going to keep her down
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