Susie Maroney’s sad divorce
The Aussie marathon swimmer separates from her third husband just seven months after their surprise wedding
Their romance seemed to be a fairytale, as unlucky-in-love swimmer Susie Maroney found her match in Perry Cross, the campaigning quadriplegic with a heart of gold.
However just months after tying the knot in an intimate ceremony in Byron Bay in November, the pair have split.
“Perry’s a wonderful inspiration as everyone knows and a beautiful man, but I really don’t want to say anything more at this stage,” Susie, 42, said after announcing the break-up, with Perry’s friends telling Woman’s Day that the inspirational speaker is coping well with the sad news.
“Perry is very upset but he has some good friends and family that are there with him, through thick and thin,” an old rugby mate of Perry’s tells Woman’s Day. “We’re not sure what happened, all we know is that we love him.”
Susie met her husband-to-be, who was paralysed after a clash on the rugby field when he was just 19, at a Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation fundraiser.
“I chased him,” Susie recalls. “I actually gave his mum my phone number and asked if he was single.” After going public with their romance in October 2015, the couple built their new family life.
“I never really imagined I’d meet someone like Susie. She blows me away… I always knew it would take someone special [to marry me] but I never thought Susie Maroney special.”
Touchingly, Perry also said he’d embraced becoming a stepfather to Susie’s three kids, Paris, eight, Capri, six, and River, five. In 2016 the pair decided to try for a baby.
“Now we’re trying IVF because we want to have a child of our own,” 42-year-old Perry revealed in December last year, just a month after they wed.
However Susie, who was formerly married to Robert Daniels and Darren May, admitted the process was tough on them both. “IVF is draining, both emotionally and financially, and at my age I’m thinking just one more time,” she said.
Susie and Perry were both quick to erase each other from their social media feeds after the announcement. But Perry’s friends know he’ll overcome his heartache with their help, and his campaign will continue.
“Perry's quest in life is to find a cure for paralysis, which he’s on the verge of achieving,” his close friend reveals.
“He’s a true gentleman and a real champion.”
‘Perry is a true gentleman and a real champion’