Welcome to The Group Chat with Lucy Manly, where one of Australia’s best-connected society writers brings you the latest celebrity and social whispers before they become headlines.
Together-ish again
The status of publican Stu Laundy and eastern suburbs social figure Kristin Fisher remains a subject of speculation, with the pair apparently reconnecting during AFL preliminary final weekend.
According to several sources, Fisher had only recently ended her relationship with 28-year-old Shannon Sykes when she was seen spending time with Laundy. She later attended the Sydney Swans’ clash with the Fremantle Dockers at the SCG, reportedly in noticeably high spirits.
The evening ended badly for the Bloods, as Fisher’s favoured Western Australian side defeated Sydney by 12 points to book its place in the grand final.
The Laundy family, one of Australia’s prominent wealthy dynasties, are well-known Swans supporters. Still, Fisher may have helped take some of the sting out of the result after Stu’s team was eliminated.
Sources say eastern suburbs social figure Kristin Fisher (pictured) was with Stu Laundy before attending the Swans v Dockers match at the SCG, where she appeared to be in high spirits
The pair have consistently described themselves as ‘good friends’, while Laundy has reportedly taken Fisher (pictured in 2024) and her children out for meals during difficult periods
Fisher has been linked socially with a number of affluent men, making Laundy (pictured with a friend at his 50th birthday in 2022) a familiar presence in her circle
Although they have long insisted they are simply ‘good friends’, Laundy is understood to have met Fisher’s parents during a trip to Broome. He has also reportedly treated Fisher and her children to dinner while she was going through challenging times.
People familiar with the pair maintain that no official relationship is on the horizon. One source characterised their connection as casual and uncomplicated, without the expectations or responsibilities associated with a committed partnership.
Fisher, meanwhile, appears to be keeping her romantic options open. That speculation intensified after she was seen enjoying a pub outing with Bobby Holland Hanton, the stunt performer known for doubling Chris Hemsworth. Sources also claim she is comfortable in the company of wealthy men.
If that account is accurate, Laundy would certainly be a well-connected contact, given that his family owns major radio networks including 2GB, 3AW, 4BC and 6PR.
Didn’t read that far?
The episode is also a reminder that social media comments deserve a second thought, particularly when someone has shared deeply personal news.
Celebrity hairstylist Christopher Hunter recently posted a heartbreaking message on Instagram announcing the death of his newborn child with partner Pala Negara.
‘Harmony Hunter came in like an angel and left a mark on us forever. 28/08/2026,’ he wrote in an intensely personal tribute.
Celebrity hairstylist Christopher Hunter announced on Instagram that his newborn child with partner Pala Negara had died
Bernadette Fahey appeared to misunderstand the post, writing: ‘Congrats. I’m so happy for you guys’
Hunter said the loss had brought him and Negara even closer, strengthening them as partners and as a family while revealing what they could endure together.
‘Our love has blossomed into a truly unstoppable force that can only come from the deep grief we have been through together,’ he wrote.
He also shared that, on Father’s Day, he helped dig Harmony’s grave with the support of a group of men who had stood by the family.
‘We cried and built a bond that will last a lifetime,’ he wrote.
Such a heartbreaking post would, you would think, be difficult to mistake for a celebratory announcement. But sadly, not everyone made it that far into the caption.
Pilates queen Bernadette Fahey appeared to misread it entirely, commenting: ‘Congrats. I’m so happy for you guys.’
Her comment has since disappeared, thankfully.
Last week, the Pilates instructor told her followers she had started IVF injections
It was, of course, a particularly unfortunate mistake, given Fahey has herself been publicly documenting her fertility journey in recent days.
Last week, during a jog, the Pilates instructor pulled out her camera to tell her followers she had embarked on IVF, joking that she probably hadn’t picked the ideal moment to take up running.
‘Only I would be stupid enough to plan a run club whilst I’m midway through IVF,’ she wrote.
‘My ovaries are burning and bouncing.’
She later revealed she was 10 days into her IVF injections, sharing advice she wished someone had given her before beginning the process.
‘The physical + emotional toll has been so much bigger than I expected and so many of my hardest moments have been triggered by trying to keep up with work at the same time,’ she wrote.
A particularly unfortunate Instagram faux pas, and perhaps a reminder that when it comes to social media, it pays to read the whole post before hitting send.
Another one bites the dust
This week, I’ve been airing the dirty laundry inside Barry’s Bootcamp, where things in the Red Room in both Sydney and Melbourne have been getting rather heated.
And it seems the drama isn’t over yet, with yet another trainer publicly announcing their exit in spectacular fashion.
Franchise veteran Zac Hope, described to me by one long-time fan of his Saturday classes as ‘a legend’, revealed on Tuesday that he would no longer be teaching his regular weekend session for Barry’s.
And, judging by his post, the decision came as something of a surprise to him too.
The Barry’s drama isn’t over yet, with long-time trainer Zac Hope (centre) announcing his iconic Saturday classes had been axed due to ‘management and business needs’
Hope, who one long-time fan of his weekend classes described to me as ‘a legend’, revealed on Tuesday that he would no longer be teaching his regular session for Barry’s
‘Unfortunately I won’t be teaching anyone ever again on Saturdays for a @barrysaustralia session,’ he wrote.
‘This is due to “management and business needs.”
‘Wild to me seeing as I’ve done the same Saturday classes for over seven years.’
To say that Hope’s abrupt exit sparked chaos among his loyal clientele would be an understatement. For his weekend trainees, he was the heart and soul of the place.
Fortunately, he has since secured a job at Body By Berner, becoming the buzzy Pilates clinic’s first male instructor, where he’ll be working out at a less intense pace.
Hope’s departure comes hot on the heels of fellow trainer Nicole Swift, who announced in a now-vanished Instagram post that she was leaving Barry’s ‘for good’.
‘Today was my last class at Barry’s Australia. I have made the decision to leave effective immediately (for real this time lol),’ she wrote on Sunday.
But it was the reason she gave that really got people talking.
Nicole Swift also announced in a now-vanished post that she was leaving Barry’s ‘for good’
The post has since disappeared – but not before it was screenshotted and, unsurprisingly, began doing the rounds among fellow trainers
CHECK THIS OUT: Idaho’s ‘Unknown Wanderer’ Identified After 44 Years: Tylenol Link?
Meanwhile, I have heard talk of staff dissatisfaction at Barry’s Bootcamp in Melbourne’s South Yarra, where former TV actress Ariel Kaplan (pictured) is a training manager
‘I cannot continue to align myself with a brand that has allowed certain behaviours and actions to take place,’ Swift wrote.
‘After a lot of thought, I’ve realised that I can’t continue to be part of a business when I no longer feel that alignment exists.’
The post has since disappeared – but not before it was screenshotted and, unsurprisingly, began doing the rounds among fellow trainers.
Meanwhile, down in Melbourne, the South Yarra studio has been at the centre of its own little soap opera.
At the heart of the chatter is head trainer and manager Ariel Kaplan, the former Neighbours and The Saddle Club actress who swapped the small screen for a career in personal training. Because, as the old saying goes, those who can’t do, teach.
Kaplan has found herself facing questions over the appointment of a trainer who has since left Barry’s and is now working at another gym in Perth.
Reports of dissatisfaction among some employees are understood to have centred, in part, on questions surrounding that appointment.
Earlier this month, I spoke to a number of Barry’s sources about the growing workplace chatter.
For legal reasons, there are some details of that investigation I simply can’t publish, and it remains unclear whether any of the South Yarra drama is connected to Swift and Hope leaving the company.
But when I contacted Kaplan at the time to ask about the staff whispers, she was decidedly uninterested in clearing up the mystery.
‘I have nothing to say,’ she told me, before abruptly ending the call.
And there, ladies and gentlemen, is where we’ll leave the Barry’s drama for now, although something tells me it’s not the last screenshot I’ll be sent.
Phelan saga continues
Former Channel Seven star Ryan Phelan may have breathed a sigh of relief this week after his civil dispute with ex-girlfriend Chelsea Franklin failed to proceed in the NSW Local Court.
As first reported by the Daily Mail in April, Franklin is suing Phelan for tens of thousands of dollars she claims he still owes her almost six years after the couple’s spectacular break-up.
You might remember that Franklin accused the former Cleo Bachelor of the Year of assaulting her in their multimillion-dollar home at Frenchs Forest in June 2020, around the time the Seven Network axed midday news show The Daily Edition, which he co-hosted with Sally Obermeder, before later cutting ties with the presenter.
The case against him was dismissed in September that year.
Franklin previously confirmed she had launched a ‘mercantile law – money lent’ civil action against her ex. The matter was due to be heard on Wednesday before the Sydney Local Court’s General Division, which hears claims worth between $20,000 and $100,000, but it didn’t go ahead.
Former Channel Seven star Ryan Phelan may have breathed a sigh of relief this week after his civil dispute with ex-girlfriend Chelsea Franklin failed to proceed in the NSW Local Court
A court spokesperson said the ‘listing had been vacated’, but Franklin (pictured in June 2020) made clear the saga was far from over: ‘I think the evidence will speak for itself’
Phelan hosted the Seven Network’s afternoon news and entertainment program The Daily Edition with Sally Obermeder (both pictured) until it was axed in June 2020
A court spokesperson said the ‘listing had been vacated’, which can happen for any number of reasons, but Franklin made clear the saga was far from over.
When asked for an update on the civil case, and life in general, the former ballet instructor told The Group Chat: ‘Life is busy, beautiful, peaceful and full.
‘I’m in a completely different position from where I was six years ago. I’ve worked very hard to rebuild my life after an incredibly difficult period, and I’m very much looking forward to putting that chapter behind me.
‘I think the evidence will speak for itself.’
When contacted on Thursday, Phelan said he did not know why the matter had been vacated and could not comment further because it was ‘in the hands of my solicitors’.
He also had no comment in response to Franklin’s statement.
A brave new world
Can someone check in on Michael Slater?
The disgraced former Test cricketer appears to have recently discovered AI slop and, judging by his Instagram feed, he’s making up for lost time.
For months, Slater has been churning out a bizarre stream of AI-generated videos, featuring cartoonish depictions of himself as some kind of working-class Aussie battler, invariably set to mournful country music (also AI) and accompanied by lengthy slabs of introspective drivel about his personal journey, ‘radical acceptance’, recovery and moving forward.
It’s exactly the sort of nonsense you’d expect from a man whose ‘Legal issues’ section on Wikipedia now comfortably outstrips his ‘Cricket career’.
And judging by the comments from his 55,000-strong following, they are not exactly clamouring for an encore.
‘Hey Slats, luv you mate… but these navel-gazing videos with naff country tunes, that’s the problem right there,’ one person wrote.
Even former England skipper Michael Vaughan appeared concerned, commenting: ‘Hope you are ok Slats x.’
Several followers questioned why Slater was suddenly posting ‘weird AI videos’, with some pleading for him to return to his regular, everyday updates.
Slater even responded to one concerned follower who urged him to ‘please stop this’.
‘Not sure what you mean with this comment?’ he replied.
Michael Slater is seen leaving Noosa Magistrates Court in 2023
For months, Slater has been churning out a bizarre stream of AI-generated videos, featuring cartoonish depictions of himself as some kind of working-class Aussie battler. Even former England skipper Michael Vaughan appeared concerned
The bizarre digital output comes after Slater largely retreated from public life following his highly publicised personal and legal troubles, including more than a year spent in custody.
The 55-year-old was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to seven charges, including domestic violence offences, but walked free having already served more than a year behind bars.
The charges related to multiple incidents involving a woman in the Noosa region in late 2023 and included allegations of assault, strangulation, burglary and stalking.
The court previously heard Slater had sent the woman more than 100 texts a day, including abusive messages, while she said she felt ‘extremely fearful and exhausted’ by his behaviour.
He was also convicted of domestic violence offences in 2022, while five women in NSW have taken out protection orders against him since 2016.
Last December, Cricket NSW removed him from its Hall of Fame and revoked his life membership over his domestic violence offences.
The once-celebrated opener, who represented Australia in 74 Tests and 42 ODIs before becoming a successful commentator, has made quite the career pivot.
And while I’m all for personal growth, I’m not convinced sloppy videos portraying him as some kind of down-on-his-luck bloke are the road to enlightenment.
Additional reporting by Joseph Scrimshire