Speculation that Jimmy Bartel was dating Lauren Mand reached fever pitch last month when the retired AFL player was spotted with the Melbourne socialite on more than one occasion.
WATCH: Nadia breaks down as she opens up about her split from Jimmy
Now, less than two months after splitting from his fashion blogger wife Nadia, Jimmy has seemingly confirmed that the rumours were true!
Last night, eagle-eyed fans of the professional athlete noticed that he started following Lauren on Instagram, leaving many convinced that the rumoured couple is planning to go public with their relationship.
His telling move comes less than a month after new details emerged about the footy player’s new love interest, with an Instagram post confirming Lauren had relocated from Melbourne to London less than three months before Jimmy flew to the British capital.
“She’s leaving me…London is so lucky to have you @laurenhmand,” a friend of Lauren’s captioned the post on March 30 from what appeared to be a farewell celebration at Melbourne’s Osborne Rooftop & Bar.
While these details may seem irrelevant, knowing that Lauren had already relocated when Jimmy visited London adds more weight to Nadia’s comments about her husband’s holiday.
“I don’t want to comment specifically on what’s been reported about Jim’s trip to the UK as I don’t think it’s in anyone’s interest,” Nadia told the Herald Sun.
Her heartwrenching statement seemingly confirms Jimmy had spent time with his rumoured love interest while travelling abroad.
Then, two weeks ago, another source told the outlet that Lauren has “long been referring to Jimmy as her boyfriend” and is allegedly happy news of their unexpected relationship has made headlines. Some have even claimed the aspiring WAG has been trying to break into their social circles for years in the hope of elevating her status.
Jimmy announced his split from his wife on August 15. The couple is believed to have separated months prior, with an insider claiming that it was “out of the blue”. According to The Sunday Telegraph, the mother-of-two will not be changing her name back to Nadia Coppolino in the wake of their separation.
Last week, the 34-year-old also addressed her split with Jimmy in The All New Monty: Ladies’ Night. In a piece-to-camera, Nadia appeared to tear up as she mentioned their separation, calling it “so painful.”
“It’s been a tough time personally for me recently. It’s just so painful,” the Instagram star said as footage and photos of the young family aired.
WATCH: A naked Nadia gives a rare behind the scenes look at Ladies’ Night
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