A high-profile Sydney separation has reportedly become increasingly tense, with PR executive Montarna McDonald said to be “furious” after her former husband, Nick Pitt, took his new partner on a family holiday with the couple’s two young daughters.
Montarna is currently holidaying in Indonesia with her friend Kristina Macourt, but is reportedly unhappy after insurance lawyer Nick was photographed enjoying a tropical break in Port Douglas with Ashleigh McDonald last week.
The Daily Mail first revealed Nick and Ashleigh’s relationship in May. Nick and Montarna separated around two years ago following six years of marriage and a decade together.
Nick, who works as a personal injury lawyer at Wotton Kearney, posted a joint Instagram update with Ashleigh featuring moments from their Port Douglas getaway.
One image showed Nick kissing Ashleigh on the cheek at the resort’s restaurant, while another captured him spending time with his daughters in the swimming pool.
There is no suggestion Nick acted improperly by including his girlfriend in the holiday. However, sources claim Montarna—who was reportedly “blindsided” by reports of her ex-husband’s new romance—was unhappy to see Ashleigh becoming part of the family holiday.
The high-profile split has reportedly grown more acrimonious, with Montarna McDonald said to be angry that her former husband Nick Pitt brought his new girlfriend on holiday with their daughters. Nick and Ashleigh are pictured at the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort in Port Douglas last week.
Nick and Montarna Pitt separated around two years ago after six years of marriage and a decade as a couple.
Personal injury lawyer Nick Pitt shared a joint Instagram post with Ashleigh documenting their holiday. The images included a kiss at the resort restaurant and a photo of Nick playing with his daughters in the pool.
A screenshot of an expired Instagram post has circulated across Sydney’s eastern suburbs after seemingly showing Ashleigh wearing a ring on her wedding finger. Only a low-resolution version remains, and the apparent ring has since been confirmed to be an optical illusion.
The Mail has also learned that a screenshot from a now-expired Instagram post began circulating after it appeared to show Ashleigh wearing a ring on her wedding finger.
The image quickly fuelled speculation among those who have followed the couple’s separation since Montarna held a lavish “divorce party” at Mimi’s in late 2024, attended by a host of prominent Sydney identities. Some began wondering whether Nick had proposed during the Port Douglas trip.
The speculation proved unfounded: the supposed ring was not an engagement ring, but merely the result of an optical illusion in the image.
Away from the speculation, Montarna has been documenting her luxury Indonesian escape online, sharing photos of herself in designer clothing and riding horses along the beach.
Her daughters have reportedly finished their time away with their father and are expected to meet her in Indonesia on Monday. A day earlier, Montarna posted a photograph captioned: “Last peaceful morning before the chaos (my children) arrive.”
The latest developments could add further strain to the relationship between Montarna and Nick, whose separation has become one of Sydney’s most closely watched celebrity break-ups.
The pair ended their marriage in 2024, with their split becoming public after Montarna celebrated her single status at an elaborate divorce party at Merivale’s Mimi’s in Coogee.
A centrepiece of the evening was a custom cake bearing her maiden name, McDonald, signalling that she had stopped using her married surname, Pitt.
MORE STORY: 81-Year-Old Man Loses $700,000 in GoFundMe Donations After Fundraising Claims Are Exposed
Guests included several well-known Sydney social figures, including Caroline Tran, Lou O’Neill and Pilates identity Bernadette Sukkar.
Ashleigh appeared in a joint post with Nick documenting their Port Douglas getaway, with images showing her walking along the beach and playing golf at the luxury resort.
Montarna, a publicist who runs her own agency, is holidaying in Indonesia. She recently shared photos of herself styled to the nines while posing next to a beachside horse stable
She is holidaying with her friend Kristina Macourt (left) but her children will be joining her soon
Nick’s relationship with Ashleigh hit the headlines in May when they made their public debut
Behind the scenes, however, Montarna and Nick were reportedly making efforts at this time to salvage their relationship. This included attending couples’ counselling in a last-ditch attempt to repair their marriage before ultimately deciding to separate.
They have since focused on co-parenting their two daughters.
Nick’s relationship with entrepreneur Ashleigh first drew attention in May 2026, when the couple made their public debut. At the time, there was some chatter about the fact Ashleigh coincidentally shares a last name with Nick’s former wife.
Ashleigh, the founder and CEO of exclusive membership group 42 Private, is well-known in high-society circles and is said to be a regular at the Royal Hospital for Women Foundation’s annual ladies’ luncheon.
Tellingly, she was absent for this year’s event, while Montarna, who is the founder of successful PR firm The Audience Agency, did attend.
While her new relationship has made her a talking point of late, Ashleigh has long been a fixture of the social scene, having previously been linked to sailor Seve Jarvin
Montarna, who is part of Sydney’s society set, is the founder of PR firm The Audience Agency
Ashleigh is said to be a regular at the Royal Hospital for Women Foundation’s annual ladies’ luncheon. Tellingly, she was absent for this year’s event, while Montarna (left) did attend
Nick and Ashleigh had reportedly been dating for just eight weeks when they were first seen together.
While her new relationship has made her a talking point of late, Ashleigh has long been a fixture of the social scene, having previously been linked to sailor Seve Jarvin.
She also has a unique place in the complex, interconnected world of Sydney’s east.
Ashleigh is the younger sister of Amber Symond (née McDonald), who was the stepmother of one of Montarna’s closest friends, Deborah Symond O’Neil, when Amber was married to Deb’s father, ‘Aussie John’ Symond, from 2016 to 2023.
Following that separation, Amber reverted to the surname of her ex-husband, Patrick Keating, the father of her two children and son of former prime minister Paul Keating.