Former Olympic swimmer Grant Hackett recently welcomed his second child with his second wife, Sharlene Fletcher.
And now fans are wondering what happened to Hackett’s first wife, Candice Alley.
The three-time gold medalist met singer-songwriter Alley in 2004 and the couple tied the knot in 2007.
At the time, the blonde beauty was riding high on the success of her hit single Falling, which reached the top five of the ARIA charts in 2003.
Two years after marrying Hackett, the couple had twins in 2009 – a boy named Jagger Emilio and a girl named Charlize Alley.
Chron Australia takes a look at what happened to Grant Hackett’s first wife Candice Alley. (The former couple is pictured in 2007)
Candice put her music career on hold to focus on life as a wife and mother, but in 2011 her marriage to the Olympian hit a rocky patch.
Police were called to the couple’s luxury Melbourne apartment after midnight after an argument broke out after the pair attended Derby Day together.
Hackett played down the drama, telling the Herald Sun at the time that he was “extremely embarrassed” by the incident, but stressed there was nothing to worry about.
“The events of Saturday evening were very unfortunate and out of character for me. “There has been speculation about Candice and I and our personal property, which is all fine,” he explained.
“I am overwhelmingly embarrassed and sorry and look forward to putting this incident behind us.”
Candice came into the spotlight in 2003 with her hit single “Falling.”
The singer-songwriter sang the pop song at the 2003 ARIA Awards
Hackett later told Channel Nine that the incident was just an “unfortunate misunderstanding” and was a “private matter”.
“Candice is 100% fine, our apartment is 100% fine and so are our twins, so it’s all an unfortunate misunderstanding that we have to deal with,” he said.
Despite claiming that they were happy in their marriage, the couple officially separated within a year, which was announced in May 2012.
The three-time gold medalist met Alley in 2004 and the couple tied the knot in 2007 before having two children together. (picture 2010)
Just two months later, Candice was investigated by police for allegedly taking items from a high-end boutique in Melbourne.
However, she was not charged over the alleged incident after the shop owner withdrew her police report.
Buckets and Spades owner Zlata Relin said Alley’s lawyers contacted her and they were able to resolve the issue.
“They called me on Friday and were very helpful and said they would pay for the items,” she told the Herald Sun.
In 2011, police were called to the couple’s luxury Melbourne apartment after midnight after an argument broke out after the pair attended Derby Day together. (Pictured in 2009 at the Melbourne Cup)
Candice and Grant divorced in 2013 and the Falling hitmaker disappeared from the spotlight.
“Towards the end the pain became too stressful and exhausting for me to continue the marriage. “When we broke up, there were no tears because I didn’t have any left,” Candice told New Idea of the breakup.
After seemingly disappearing from the public eye, the singer resurfaced in 2015 by landing a recurring guest role on Neighbors.
She played Cecilia Saint in the series, a character who she confessed was “a bit of a bad girl.”
In 2012, Candice was investigated by police for allegedly taking items from a high-end boutique in Melbourne
After seemingly disappearing from the public eye, the singer resurfaced in 2015 by landing a recurring guest role on Neighbors
When the role ended in 2016, Candice fell into obscurity again, but she gave an interview this year in which she spoke about the difficulties of being a single parent.
“My children are very happy with some of the decisions I have made.” Being a mother is the most important job in the world because you raise people and try to shape them. “Anything you can do is the best you can do,” she told Kidsspot.
When it came to her bitter divorce from Grant, the star said: “My kids luckily had no idea what was going on.”
She added: “I didn’t have to make any explanations. “It was easier for me.”
These days, Candice seems to have completely disappeared from the limelight and no longer updates her social media accounts.
Hackett took over as CEO of investment firm Generation Life in January 2020 after working for the company since 2017
The Australian swimming legend (pictured with his newborn daughter and four-year-old son Edward) gave birth to his second child with his second wife Sharlene in August
Meanwhile, Hackett moved on with Sharlene Fletcher, marrying the brunette beauty in 2021 and having two children together.
Hackett’s current picturesque life is not what anyone would have predicted six years ago, when he went missing for days after an argument with his family.
When he disappeared after an argument with his father and a fight with his brother, his family pleaded on television for him to come home, fearing for his safety.
“He’s a danger to himself … we’ve reached the end of the road,” his brother Craig said at the time.
“This is a completely different person. “He is there physically, but neither mentally nor emotionally nor spiritually.”
Hackett suffered a black eye and a broken jaw in the fight and posted a photo of his injuries on social media.
The episode followed struggles with alcohol and sleeping pill addictions amid a bitter custody battle with his then-wife Candice.
In February 2017, the embattled swimming star accused his brother of beating him up in a social media post that read: “My brother is speaking out to the media… but does anyone know he beat me up?”
Everything came to a head when the former Olympic swimming champion was arrested at his parents’ home in February 2017. In the picture he can be seen in the back seat of the police car after his arrest
Hackett was spotted (pictured) walking half-naked through Melbourne’s Crown Casino in February 2014 after taking the sleeping pill Stilnox
In 2014, he was seen walking around the Crown Casino disoriented, wearing only an undershirt around his waist, after his son left the hotel room.
After a failed swimming comeback, he was arrested in April 2016 and accused of tweaking a male passenger’s nipples on a Virgin flight.
He later apologized and admitted to drinking half a bottle of gin before the flight.
The saga with his family followed less than a year later, in February 2017, but led to him being admitted to rehab in California.
His time there was a turning point and he is now Chief Executive Officer of the investment firm Generation Life.