He’s come close to death on the racetrack, temporarily losing his sight from a terrible crash before breaking his leg and suffering permanent nerve damage in another – and that’s before he almost died in a freak helicopter accident three years ago.
But nothing prepared James Courtney for the discovery last week that his estranged wife had flown to Honolulu to spend a romantic week with hotel heir Stu Laundy – just a month after she “blindsided” him with a public announcement of their split.
“I have no idea how she met him, and I really don’t care what she does in her personal life now,” he said when Woman’s Day contacted him after Carys and Stu, 45, were spotted holidaying together in Hawaii last week.
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“My sole, 100 per cent focus is my two amazing children. As to what she does now, it’s her journey and she makes her own decisions,” James says.
Friends confirmed last week, James, 38, still hoped he could save his 13-year marriage to Carys. But then, without warning him, she announced on Instagram the couple had split and made their separation public.
“I believe he was dropping the kids at school when someone told him about the Instagram post,” reveals one family friend, who says James has been left confused and heartbroken by Carys’ sudden decision.
She posted this message, “After 16 years together James and I have decided to separate. We share two amazing children and our priority is and always will be our children. My hope is we’ll continue to grow into a relationship as positive co-parents for Zara and Cade.”
Just three weeks later, she “shocked” her former partner when she flew to Hawaii with Stu for a romantic holiday at the famed Halekulani Resort in Honolulu.
“I’ve never met him and I have no idea how she met him,” confirmed James, adding he wasn’t aware she was in Hawaii with Stu, until Woman’s Day informed him.
The motorsports champion refused to comment on exactly why he and Carys, 37, had separated. But James did confirm he was no longer living in their Sanctuary Cove home, which is estimated to be worth more than $3 million.
“I really don’t want to comment on it other than to say, we didn’t separate because I was unfaithful,” he says, acknowledging he hadn’t always been the perfect husband.
[We’ve had our ups and downs, but we’ve worked through them and whatever else, we’ve both loved raising our kids together. I’m being 100 per cent honest here. I loved my wife and I love my kids, and everything I’ve done since then was for those guys.”
James, who currently competes in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship for Walkinshaw Andretti United, re-proposed to Carys on their 10-year wedding anniversary in 2015 and the couple went on a second honeymoon in 2016.
“Everyone gets married thinking it will be forever,” he says, adding that finding love again was the last thing on his mind at the moment.
“I have zero interest in that. I’m going through enough of a drama, the last thing I need is to add anything to it.
“My 100 per cent focus is the kids. They’re my life. I do what I do so I can provide those guys with what they need. That’s what I’m focusing on and I’ll worry about me later on. What I will say is we’ve separated. I don’t want to make any further comment.”
Stu won Sophie Monk’s heart on The Bachelorette in 2017.
James’ estranged wife Carys has spent the past week at the luxurious Halekulani Resort at Waikiki with Stu, who was famously dumped by Sophie Monk after a short-lived romance last year.
He’s been linked to a number of women since becoming a minor celebrity competing on The Bachelorette with Sophie. She broke down in tears on TV, claiming the relationship didn’t work because they were “very different people” with “different morals”.
Stu, a separated dad-of-four, is known as the “last publican playboy” and is heir to a $412 million family fortune.
