Luke Sayers apologizes to ex-wife in defamation settlement

Former Carlton Football Club president Luke Sayers has issued an unreserved apology to his estranged wife, Cate Sayers, following a defamation settlement in the Supreme Court of Victoria.

The legal dispute arose after an explicit image of Mr. Sayers was posted to his X account in January 2025. In a subsequent statutory declaration, Mr. Sayers had suggested that Ms. Sayers was responsible for accessing his account and posting the image, which also tagged a senior executive at Bupa.

During the court proceedings, lawyers for Mr. Sayers stated, “I acknowledge the extreme hurt and harm caused to Cate Sayers occasioned by the suggestion … that she posted or may have posted an explicit image on my X account. I accept she did not do this.”

Ms. Sayers stated that the settlement and apology serve to establish the truth and close a “painful and difficult chapter” involving extraordinary claims made against her.