Michael Clarke, Kyly Clarke to divorce, putting $40m in play
After separating five months ago, former cricket captain Michael Clarke and wife Kyly are ending their seven-year marriage.
One of the country’s best-known media and sporting couples, former Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke and his wife, Kyly, have split after seven years of marriage in what is shaping as a $40m divorce.
The couple issued a joint statement to The Australian’s Media Diary on Wednesday night announcing their separation: “After living apart for some time, we have made the difficult decision to separate as a couple, amicably.
“With the greatest of respect for each other, we’ve come to the mutual conclusion that this is the best course for us to take while committed to the co-parenting of our daughter.”
Media Diary can reveal the pair have agreed terms on a divorce, having already set in place co-parenting arrangements for their four-year-old daughter, Kelsey Lee, and negotiated a financial settlement without going through the courts.
It is understood the pair separated five months ago when Clarke, 39, moved out of the pair’s Vaucluse home, worth upwards of $12m, in Sydney’s harbourside eastern suburbs. It is believed Clarke has relocated to the pair’s Bondi beachfront pad, worth $8m, which he briefly put on the market in 2019. He also jointly owns a third Bondi property with his sister Leanne (where she currently lives with her family), worth about $4m. The Clarke siblings have been regularly spotted together in the area in recent months.
Apart from the properties, Clarke has millions of dollars in other investments: in 2015, he started a private equity vehicle for start-ups, BCXXIII (named for Clarke’s playing number, 23, during his one-day international career). He jointly owns the vehicle with Sydney accountant Anthony Bell, one of his best friends in a group that includes Shane Warne, James Packer, Michael Slater and Damien Martyn.
Under the terms of the settlement, it is understood Kyly Clarke, 38, will continue to occupy the Vaucluse property with Kelsey Lee. However, Clarke will continue to spend time with his soon-to-be-former wife, whom he met when they both studied more than two decades ago at Westfields Sports High School in Fairfield in Sydney’s west.
It is understood they continue to train together at a Rose Bay gym, and the former Test captain regularly turns up at the family home to take Kelsey Lee to preschool.
In their statement, they said they would be making “no further comment” about the situation. “We’d like to acknowledge the wonderful support we’ve had from family and friends, and at this time request privacy so that we can manage this next stage of our lives,” they said.
A year ago, Kyly Clarke told The Daily Mail in response to speculation on the couple’s marriage: “We’re not, never were and never will be splitting.”
Media Diary has been told there is no third party in either of their lives.
The couple has been developing media presences since Clarke retired and handed the Australian cricket captaincy to Steve Smith in August 2015.
At the time, Clarke was believed to be making up to $5m a year, including endorsements.
He has since carved out a career as a cricket commentator, first with Nine until it lost cricket rights in 2018, and with a range of international broadcasters, including in Britain and India. He was part of the ICC’s official commentary team for the 2019 cricket World Cup, and will be part of Indian network Star Sports’ panel for the Indian Premier League.
Clarke is also about to enter the world of Sydney breakfast radio, joining Sky Radio’s Big Sports Breakfast with Laurie Daley.
Kyly Clarke was in October announced as one of the judges of the Seven Network’s renovation show House Rules. She has a company, Lyfestyled by Kyly Clarke, which retails her products. She is also a paid “influencer” for corporates, with a healthy social media following.
Clarke’s career has seen very public ups and downs, with highs including his four years as Australian captain, and lows the spats with former teammates Andrew Symonds and Simon Katich. The marriage break-up is Clarke’s second relationship split.
He parted company with his-then fiancee Lara Bingle (now Worthington) in 2010. Bingle was once famously the face of the “Where the bloody hell are you?” campaign when Scott Morrison headed Tourism Australia. After the Bingle split, there were front-page stories, rubbished by Clarke, that Bingle had flushed her engagement ring down the toilet.
A decade later, his marriage break-up seems more amicable.
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