MELBOURNE - A protracted controversy surrounding an explicit image posted from the X account of former Carlton president Luke Sayers has escalated, with his estranged wife, Cate Sayers, filing a defamation lawsuit against him. Court documents filed in Victoria's Supreme Court allege that Luke Sayers, in a statutory declaration provided to the AFL Integrity Unit, wrongly implied that his wife was responsible for the offending post.
The investigation into the incident, which led to Sayers' resignation as Carlton president and scrutiny from the AFL, previously concluded that his account had been "compromised." Naomi Driver, a senior marketing executive at Bupa, has now been publicly identified for the first time as the woman tagged in the graphic image. It is alleged that the AFL did not interview Mrs. Sayers regarding the accusation that she published the photograph. The lawsuit reportedly contends that Luke Sayers owed his wife a "duty of confidence to keep her private and confidential information private and confidential."
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The fallout from the social media incident appears to have significantly impacted the Sayers' personal lives and their public affiliations. Cate Sayers has reportedly stepped down as a director from the Inclusion Foundation, a charity she co-founded with her husband, which supports children with Down syndrome. Luke Sayers, however, remains on the charity's board. Reports indicate the couple were on a "luxurious family holiday" in Europe when the image first appeared. The family has reportedly fractured, with their daughters allegedly supporting their father amidst the legal proceedings.
The incident initially unfolded in early January 2025, when a lewd image was published from Luke Sayers' X account, tagging a female executive from Bupa, a significant sponsor of the club. Sayers vehemently denied posting the image himself, asserting that his account had been hacked. The post was reportedly deleted within 12 minutes, followed by an apology to his followers.
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The AFL Integrity Unit launched an investigation into the matter, a process that ultimately led to Sayers' resignation from his presidency shortly after the findings were released. The AFL CEO, Andrew Dillon, has publicly defended the integrity of the unit amidst the renewed controversy stemming from the defamation lawsuit. Sayers also stepped back from his role as chairman of his consulting firm, Sayers Group. The current defamation action has emerged approximately a year after the initial social media event.