Sources close to Michael Clarke and Jade Yarbrough say the couple had “pretty much moved on” from the fiery argument that kicked off earlier this month in Noosa, until the confronting footage went public on Wednesday.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, a friend of the Stefanovics, Jade Yarbrough and Michael Clarke revealed the group had “no idea” they were being filmed during their twilight showdown in a public park on January 10th.
The stoush was prompted by cheating allegations against Clarke and his ex, Pip Edwards. It is understood Pip and Jade had been in contact earlier that night.
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Clarke has since accepted “full responsibility” for the altercation.
A full week had quietly passed before Clarke was alerted to the video — which features Jade swearing at and slapping a topless Clarke, who is then seen exploding at Karl Stefanovic — prompting a frenzied response that was “like a bomb went off,” according to the friend.
Watch the video here.
“Michael was devastated.
“His first thought was his family. And then the families of everyone else involved.
“This wasn’t just about him. This was about parents, kids, partners, everything.”
The Daily Mail reports that Clarke, who has a seven-year-old daughter with ex-wife Kyly, was the one who delivered the news to Jade and the Stefanovics that the altercation had been filmed by an onlooker. The person behind the camera was paid a rumoured $10,000 for the clip, which was first posted by The Daily Telegraph.
“Everyone had actually, kind of, started to move on. And then the video comes out and it (had to be) re-lived all over again,” the insider said.
It comes amid reports interior designer Jade is “distraught and embarrassed” by the footage, and is keeping a low profile at her sister Jasmine’s house until it blows over.
Jade was filmed slapping Clarke and calling him a “f***ing dog”, while Karl Stefanovic and his wife Jasmine intervene.
Former cricketer Clarke is then seen limping across the park as the group tries to calm the situation, while a furious Jade continues to scream at him.
“You f**ked her on December 17 … You f**ked her, you’re a f**king dog,” Jade screams.
Clarke responds: “Baby you’re wrong, you’re wrong.”
The screaming match broke out following a dinner between Clarke, Jade, Karl and Jasmine, as well as celebrity accountant Anthony Bell, whose house the group had been staying at.
It took place in front of multiple people in a park, about 9.30pm, with an onlooker heard yelling “there’s children over there” as they encouraged the group to take the fight elsewhere.
The bystander who filmed the fight said he was first alerted to the drama when he spotted Clarke and Stefanovic in a heated exchange.
Queensland Police are now investigating the incident and no charges have been laid.
As the fallout to the video continues, Clarke has been trying to salvage his relationship, reportedly spending time on the phone with Jade into the early hours of Thursday morning.