Tess Crosley has broken her silence online following renewed attention around her personal life, posting a strongly worded statement as the fallout from the ongoing Lachie and Jules Neale affair saga continues.

The controversy first erupted after Jules Neale announced the end of her marriage to Brisbane Lions star Lachie Neale over Christmas, later making subtle allegations of a betrayal involving a former friend before relocating from Brisbane to Perth with their children.

Jules’ former friend, 30-year-old mum Tess, who has largely remained tight-lipped about her marriage to Ben Crosley despite months of speculation, has shared a message after being pulled back into public discussion.

It comes after her husband Ben posted a series of photos from a day out at Hamilton Island Golf Club with mates last week, captioned simply: “Closaaah” (a reference to lyrics in Justin Bieber’s Coachella performance and unrelated to the affair allegations).

Among the comments, Tess herself briefly appeared on the post, leaving a pinched-fingers emoji.

One follower then directly questioned her about her relationship, asking: “Did he forgive you? I’m confused, no offence.”

Tess replied bluntly: “Don’t think that’s any of your business.”

On Wednesday, Tess shared a longer statement to her Instagram story addressing the criticism she says she has been facing. She seemingly suggested people have been approaching her in the street.

“I want to make this very clear, It is never acceptable for anyone to approach a stranger in public and make derogatory comments or abuse at them especially when they are simply trying to care for their child’s needs,” she said on Instagram.

“My child does not deserve to be exposed to that kind of behaviour. No child does.

“While I navigate my own personal challenges, my priority remains protecting and shielding my child from unnecessary hostility and cruelty in everyday situations.”

Despite ongoing speculation about her relationship with Ben, neither has publicly confirmed the current status beyond Ben previously indicating she had moved out after she was seen shifting boxes from their Brisbane home in February.

The saga first erupted when Jules announced the end of her marriage and subtly accused Tess of involvement in a now-deleted comment on one of Tess’ posts, before relocating from Brisbane to Perth with her children.

Lachie Neale later stepped down as co-captain of the Brisbane Lions and addressed the situation publicly in an emotional statement.

“While I will not go into specifics, I can say that I have let my family down and I apologise for my actions, which have hurt those closest to me. For that, I am deeply sorry,” he said at the time.

“I accept this as a consequence of my actions and I need to focus on rebuilding trust with Jules, as the future well-being of our children remains our number one priority.”