Actress Jodi Anasta broke down several times on the Neighbours set in the weeks leading to her sudden departure. Now friends are claiming she’s been “burning the candle at both ends” for at least six months because she’s struggling with her busy life.
“She’s really emotional and has walked off set crying a number of times just over little things and out of frustration,” confirms one co-star, who says the cast and crew of Neighbours have been concerned about her wellbeing for weeks.
“She shows up exhausted after late-night partying and has been forgetting her lines. We’ve all been worried about her. I really do believe she’s going through a bit of a personal crisis at the moment.”
The Neighbours cast and crew are said to be concerned about her wellbeing.
(Image: Getty)Intervention
A Ten spokesperson confirmed last week Jodi, 34, was on a three-week break from Neighbours.
“Jodi is taking some time out to rest, we look forward to having her back on set soon,” she said.
Her manager Sean Anderson said she was simply “exhausted”.
But close friends insisted Jodi’s breakdown was over a lot more than exhaustion or career disappointment, claiming they staged an “intervention” to force the star to reassess her fast-paced party lifestyle and drinking so she could regain her health.
The star says she misses her daughter greatly when she’s working in Melbourne.
(Image: @jodigordon/ Instagram)“She hangs out with a pretty wild fashion crowd, and she’s been pretty messy when I’ve seen her out and about,” says one former friend.
“When she’s in Sydney, she’s always out with that cool Bondi crowd, and they can be hard to keep up with.
“I saw her pretty smashed at The Bucket List [a swish bar overlooking Bondi Beach] in January. She’d clearly been drinking for quite a few hours and she knocked over a bottle of wine, which spilled all over the table. She did apologise and send a new bottle over, but it was embarrassing.”
It’s been a decade since Jodi hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons after police found her cowering in a corner of bikie associate Mark Judge’s bedroom, allegedly suffering a drug-induced delusion that armed men were trying to break into his apartment. Shortly after the incident, her relationship with billionaire media tycoon Ryan Stokes ended.
Friends say Jodi’s relentless social life, teamed with the difficulties of juggling being a single mum to her five-year-old daughter Aleeia in Sydney and working on Neighbours in Melbourne, has taken its toll, but also that her problems run even deeper than that.
“She thought she’d have found Mr Right by now,” says another mate, who adds Jodi has struggled with finding a new partner since divorcing former rugby league star Braith Anasta.
WATCH: Jodi’s ex Braith Anasta reveals the Neighbours star texted him when she found out his baby news. Story continues after video…
Seeking help
Another of Jodi’s friends says she knows the TV star has sought help with a therapist, but her lifestyle is so “busy and erratic” she’s missed sessions, despite breaking down in tears in public and leaning on friends, including makeup artist Max May, for support in recent months.
Even Jodi recently admitted it was difficult to be back on the dating scene, telling a newspaper earlier this year she found it hard to make it work because she was a single mum, living between two cities.
Friends fear her recent disastrous dates and thwarted career ambitions have pushed her to breaking point.
“Jodi thought getting the role on Neighbours would lead to a resurgence in her career and even perhaps be a springboard into getting work in movies, but that hasn’t happened,” reveals another friend.
“I know she’s really struggled with that disappointment.”
Jodi is also said to be “jealous” over ex-husband Braith’s happy family life with fiancee Rachael.
(Image: @braith_anasta/ Instagram)