An NRLW star was allegedly prompted to accuse her former girlfriend of assault after recently being convicted of domestic violence offences against the same woman.
Maddie Studdon went to police on February 19, alleging that real estate agent Bree Brown had punched, slapped and bitten her during several attacks between November 2023 and August last year.
The complaint came just 15 days after Studdon narrowly avoided prison over a series of domestic violence incidents that a judge said would have left Brown ‘terrified’.
Studdon, who last played for the Dragons in 2025 and has represented both Australia and NSW, was arrested on January 13 after a disturbance outside Brown’s home.
She pleaded guilty to stalking or intimidating Brown with the intention of causing physical harm, as well as using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend her.
Brown appeared in court the day after Studdon made the domestic violence allegations. Police initially refused her bail, but it was later granted.
Five days later, the 31-year-old pleaded not guilty to two counts of common assault, three counts of assault causing actual bodily harm and one count of destroying or damaging property.
Police have since added three alternative common assault charges, to which Brown also pleaded not guilty at Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday.
NRLW star Maddie Studdon was allegedly motivated to accuse her former girlfriend of assault after recently being convicted of domestic violence offences against the same woman. Studdon is pictured outside court on Thursday.
Studdon went to police on February 19, alleging that real estate agent Bree Brown had assaulted her on multiple occasions in various locations between 2023 and last year. Brown is pictured outside court on Thursday.
Brown attended court with her parents, a young brunette woman who sat beside her and sometimes held her hand, and three other supporters in the public gallery.
She has no criminal convictions, has never previously been charged with an offence and had never appeared in court before the current charges were laid.
Studdon, who turns 32 on Friday, was due to give evidence via audio-visual link from another part of the court. However, the judge ran out of time to hear from her on Thursday.
Solicitor Melissa Huseyin tendered documents detailing Studdon’s domestic violence convictions and an apprehended violence order imposed to protect Brown.
She argued that the material showed a possible motive for Studdon’s allegations against her client, adding that the background was not included in the prosecution brief prepared against Brown.
Ms Huseyin asked Constable Bailey Smith, the officer in charge of the case, whether Brown had disclosed Studdon’s convictions and the AVO when making her statement on February 19.
When police prosecutor Sergeant Nicholas Dobson objected to the question on relevance grounds, Judge Chris Halburd responded: ‘How’s it not relevant?’
Asked whether he knew the specific offences Studdon had committed against Brown, Constable Smith replied: ‘Not off the top of my head, no.’
Studdon, left, narrowly avoided prison over a series of domestic violence incidents that a judge said would have left Brown, right, ‘terrified’.
Studdon, pictured above, last played for the Dragons in 2025 and has represented Australia and NSW. She was arrested on January 13 after a disturbance outside Brown’s home.
The court also heard evidence from a friend of Studdon’s who insisted text exchanges between the pair were about her ordering an Uber for Studdon rather than buying drugs.
The earliest allegation against Brown is that on November 17, 2023, she grabbed Studdon around the neck and pushed her into a wall at Mercure Penrith, next to the Panthers Leagues Club.
Next, she is accused of dragging Studdon away from her friends and throwing a drink over her on August 31, 2024, at the beachside Northies venue in Cronulla.
A more serious assault allegedly took place at Brown’s family home at Green Point on the Central Coast after a wedding on March 16, 2025.
On that occasion, Brown is accused of punching Studdon in the face, cutting her lip and causing swelling to her mouth, as well as damaging the screen on her phone.
A fourth assault allegedly occurred on May 19 last year at Studdon’s family home at Botany, south of the city, where Brown is accused of biting her thumb.
The final charge relates to Brown allegedly slapping Studdon’s face on August 25 last year at her girlfriend’s home at Eastlakes, also in Sydney’s inner-south.
Studdon’s friend Sian George, who only provided a statement to police on Thursday morning, gave evidence by audio-visual link about the alleged Green Point assault.
Brown first faced court the day after Studdon (above) made domestic violence allegations against her, and was granted bail after it had initially been refused by police
Brown (above) has no criminal convictions, has never previously been charged with a criminal offence and, until these charges were laid, had never been brought before a court
Ms George was holding her newborn baby in her arms and was unsure whether to take an affirmation or oath.
‘Whatever, oath’s fine,’ she said, before she was asked if she believed in God and replied, ‘No.’
Ms George said she had known Brown for about five years and Studdon for a year or two. She remained in contact with Studdon.
Brown, Studdon and Ms George had been among the guests to attend a Central Coast wedding at North Entrance on March 15 last year. After the wedding, Ms George went back to the bride and groom’s house.
Ms George said she received a message about 11pm from Studdon, who was with Brown at her family’s Green Point home, saying something like, ‘Sian, I need your help.’
Studdon later sent her a photograph showing blood all over her face and a cut lip, the witness told the court.
Ms George said she called an Uber for Studdon who arrived at the newlyweds’ home between 12.30am and 1am while she was standing with her partner Josh outside the house.
‘She got out of the Uber,’ Ms George said. ‘She was quite distressed and scared. Her face was pretty much covered in blood. She had a cut lip.’
Studdon (above), who turns 32 on Friday, was set to give evidence via audio-visual link from another part of the court but a judge ran out of time on Thursday to hear from her
Ms George said Brown arrived shortly afterwards in her own car and exchanged words with Studdon through the window.
‘They were just going back and forth saying things that happened, sort of leading up to the event,’ she told the court.
Ms George said once inside the house Studdon told her Brown had hit her and broken her phone. Studdon allegedly said, ‘I don’t know why she did this. I don’t know what I did wrong.’
Under cross-examination, Ms George agreed guests at the wedding had been drinking alcohol but said she was ‘not too sure’ if any had been taking drugs.
She was then shown a text Studdon sent her while she was still at Green Point which included the words: ‘Just get me something’, ‘I’ll pay for everything for the rest of the night’ and ‘I just need to get out of here.’
Ms Huseyin put it to Ms George that the message was a reference to buying drugs but she insisted it was about ordering Studdon an Uber.
She then read a text Studdon had sent Ms George which said: ‘Thanks babe but let’s party f*** this s*** split lit let’s go’ and another containing the words ‘I can’t wait to have something numb to f*** this crazy.’
Ms George denied those texts had anything to do with drugs.
Mock-ups of text messages the court heard Studdon had sent to her friend Sian George. Ms George denied those texts had anything to do with drugs
Brown (above) was accompanied in court by her parents, a young brunette woman who sat next to her, sometimes holding her hand, and three other supporters in the public gallery
She could not recall Brown contacting her the next morning to ask if Studdon wanted a lift back to Sydney.
At the end of Ms George’s evidence, the hearing was adjourned until December, when Studdon will give her evidence.
Studdon was given a severe dressing-down when sentenced for her crimes against Brown by Judge Megan Greenwood in February.
Downing Centre Local Court heard that Studdon had accused Brown of being unfaithful to her with a man, but that claim was not substantiated and the Daily Mail does not suggest it is true.
Brown had told Studdon ‘do not message me again’ and blocked her number and profile on social media.
The former State of Origin halfback then proceeded to contact Brown via a private phone number, calling her almost 30 times.
The court heard Studdon had transferred $1 to Brown’s bank account, writing in the payment description: ‘Check msgs, enjoy the d**k. Can stop being suss and own up.’
‘You make me go off ’cause of what you’re doing. Didn’t need to use me just so you could see if something else would work.’
On January 12, Studdon went to Brown’s home, repeatedly knocked and kicked her door, saying ‘You’re having f**king sex, are ya?’
Judge Greenwood said Brown would have been ‘terrified’ and described Studdon’s conduct as ‘classic controlling behaviour’.
‘No one should ever have to put up with being treated like this,’ Ms Greenwood said, warning Studdon she was fortunate not to be jailed.
‘You do this again, that’s where you’re going,’ she told Studdon.
Ms Greenwood put Studdon on a two-year intensive correction order and fined her $2,200.
Studdon, who is currently without an NRLW club, was a member of the Women’s All Stars team and captained the Blues in the first Women’s State of Origin in 2018, which NSW won.
She began her professional rugby league career in 2018, signing for the Sydney Roosters, before stints at St George Illawarra, Parramatta and Cronulla.
