From Heartbreak to Empowerment: How Women Thrive After Divorce
When news emerged late last year about the marriage breakdown of AFL footballer Lachie Neale and his Perth-born hairdresser wife Jules Neale, the public fascination reached fever pitch. Speculation swirled around the reasons behind their split, with media reports suggesting the couple was "working through" issues. However, Jules Neale swiftly addressed the rumours with a candid Instagram statement.
"I want to make it very clear that I am not 'working through' anything," she wrote. "I have been betrayed in the most unimaginable way. All I can do now is to heal and do what's best for my children." Lachie Neale's subsequent admission that he had "let my family down" appeared to confirm infidelity as the catalyst for their separation.
Rebuilding and Rising Stronger
In the weeks following the split, an interesting dynamic unfolded. While Lachie Neale was photographed arriving at Perth Airport looking weary and stressed, Jules Neale appeared to be embracing her new chapter with remarkable resilience. She shared vibrant photos from the Australian Open, looking fit and confident in a pink ensemble.
The professional trajectories of both individuals have taken contrasting paths since their separation. Lachie Neale stepped down from his co-captaincy role with the Brisbane Lions, while Jules Neale announced she had secured representation with a talent agency to advance her burgeoning career as an online influencer. Her Instagram following has grown by more than 100,000 since December, and she's building a substantial presence on TikTok as well.
One of her recent TikTok posts features a clip of her enjoying a glass of white wine in the sunshine, overlaid with text that reads: "'I don't understand how they could do that'. Exactly, what a blessing not to." The top comment on this post captures the public sentiment perfectly: "I've never seen a woman act with such certainty after being betrayed... I think it's actually so inspiring for a lot of women who feel trapped in these situations!"
The Divorce Effect Phenomenon
Jules Neale's journey reflects a broader social media trend known as The Divorce Effect, where women share transformative before-and-after videos documenting their post-separation glow-ups. These videos typically feature footage from during the marriage showing tired, stressed individuals, contrasted with vibrant, confident images after divorce, set to empowering music.
While divorce undoubtedly represents a challenging and painful experience for all involved, there is growing evidence that for many women, the end of a marriage can ultimately lead to positive personal growth and increased life satisfaction. Numerous high-profile women have demonstrated remarkable resilience and success following marital breakdowns.
Historical and Contemporary Examples
The blueprint for post-divorce empowerment was arguably established by Princess Diana in 1994, when she famously wore a stunning black "revenge dress" to a high-profile event on the same evening her husband confessed his infidelity on national television. The next day's newspapers featured her looking radiant, effectively overshadowing the royal PR strategy.
More recently, Nicole Kidman demonstrated similar resilience following her separation from Keith Urban after nineteen years of marriage. Just one week after filing for divorce, she appeared at the Chanel runway show in Paris looking fresh and fabulous, accompanied by her two teenage daughters.
Singer Lily Allen has taken a more direct approach to processing her divorce experience through her art. Her 2025 concept album West End Girl details, often with excruciating honesty, her ex-husband David Harbour's infidelity. The album has achieved remarkable commercial success, with more than 150 million streams and sold-out UK tour dates.
Meanwhile, Miley Cyrus's mega-hit Flowers has become an anthem for divorced women worldwide, with the lyric "I can buy myself flowers" evolving into cultural shorthand for self-sufficiency and personal empowerment.
Australian Research on Post-Divorce Happiness
These high-profile stories align with emerging academic research on women's experiences following relationship dissolution. A recent study conducted by the University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide, titled Does Time Heal All Wounds? Life Satisfaction Trajectories In Australian Middle-Aged Women Before And After Relationship Dissolution, provides compelling insights.
The research found that while women typically experience a temporary dip in happiness around the time of relationship breakdown, this period is relatively short-lived. Within three to four years post-divorce, women generally return to the same levels of happiness they experienced prior to their marriage dissolution.
Co-author Anastasia Ejova, a psychology lecturer at the University of Adelaide, explained the findings: "The upwards tract begins after that separation period, and it involves catching up quite a bit. In Australia, given the support infrastructure we have and the lack of social stigma around divorce, there is that opportunity for women to find their feet overall and resume that upward trajectory of happiness."
Interestingly, the study also indicated that re-partnering did not necessarily improve women's life satisfaction, suggesting that personal growth and independence following divorce contribute significantly to long-term happiness.
Looking Forward with Hope
While the Neale marriage breakdown represents a difficult chapter for all involved, Jules Neale's journey reflects a broader pattern of female resilience and post-divorce flourishing. The combination of personal determination, supportive social structures, and time appears to create conditions where women can not only recover from relationship breakdowns but potentially emerge stronger and more fulfilled.
As research continues to evolve in this area, and as more women share their empowering stories of post-divorce transformation, society's understanding of relationship dissolution is becoming more nuanced. Rather than viewing divorce solely as an ending, many are beginning to recognize it as a potential beginning—a catalyst for personal growth, self-discovery, and renewed happiness.
