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Sarah Roberts’ declaration as she puts divorce from James Stewart behind her

She's leading a "rich and full" life now.

Over the past few years, Sarah Roberts has had to be resilient. Two miscarriages, five failed embryo transfers, a diagnosis of endometriosis, the loss of her brother and a divorce from her husband of almost five years, James Stewart, have meant she’s been through the wringer.

Not that you’d know it.

She’s midway through her “year of being an absolute rock star” and admits to WHO that recent challenging times “are like a bit of fuel in my belly”.

Sarah Roberts DJs
Roberts DJs at Cointreau’s Margarita Day at the Sydney Opera House in February, 2024. (Credit: Shutterstock) (Credit: Shutterstock)

When Roberts, 39, announced her divorce in April, she was scared of the “stigma and shame” around the split. Five months on, she feels positive about the experience. “[My divorce] doesn’t define me,” she tells WHO. “It’s a small chapter of my life and I’m moving on and forwards now. I’ve learnt and grown from everything that’s happened. I feel free.”

She adds, “Sometimes setbacks or challenges can drive you forward. They can either hold you back or you can make a decision not to let fear stand in your way and really use it to achieve goals and be a beacon of light or strength for people that are following in your footsteps.”

James Stewart and Sarah Roberts pose together
Roberts and Stewart attend Golden Eagle Day at Rosehill Gardens on November 02, 2019 in Sydney. (Photo by Hanna Lassen/Getty Images for Australian Turf Club)

In 2019, Roberts’ brother, Karl, died of brain cancer aged 45. It’s something she believes helps her put things into perspective.

“I think about my brother and think, ‘If I’ve only got six years left on this earth, how do I want to spend that time?’ Even if things don’t turn out the way that you planned, I think sometimes the universe is just setting you off on a different trajectory and you have to trust that’s your right path.”

Roberts, who is of Australian and Sri Lankan heritage, attributes her resilience to growing up as a mixed-race child in a predominantly white suburb in Victoria.

“My sister, mum and I were the only three brown people in Sorrento,” she says. “I used to get called a lot of names. There’s a strength in developing a thick skin. As long as you can learn from that and not let it hold you back, that’s where the power lies.”

Sarah Roberts
Sarah Roberts (Credit: Instagram/Sarah Roberts)

Understanding what it’s like to grow up as a minority has motivated Roberts to champion diversity. She’s now the ambassador for the Icon Management x Designer Brands (DB) Unsigned Model Search. Hailed as Australia’s most inclusive annual model search, it encourages people of all sizes, identification, ethnicity and ability to apply.

“Growing up as a woman of colour, I didn’t feel represented a lot of the time,” she says. “When you don’t have role models to look up to, it makes life a little bit challenging. It’s time for everyone to be seen and acknowledged, and I want to make my voice heard.”

Sarah Roberts in a green dress
Roberts is living life to the full, recently taking a holiday to Italy.

Speaking out is something Roberts has certainly been embracing.

She recently filmed Make It Look Real, a documentary about intimacy coordinators, and credits the process with helping her understand what she is and isn’t comfortable with in all areas of her life.

“It was a great experience for me in actually learning what my boundaries are,” she says. “The last couple of years have really been about learning what I won’t stand for, what I do and don’t want in my life, and how I want to be treated.”

After a transformative few months, during which Roberts has discovered her voice and boundaries, what message would she give to the woman she was a year ago? “I think I’d tell her to trust yourself and know your worth,” she says. “I’m finally learning what it means to be a woman. My life is very rich and full. I’d say, ‘Know that you’re enough.’”

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