Luke Sayers apologises as ex-wife's lewd photo defamation case settles

Former Carlton president Luke Sayers has apologized in a high-profile defamation case with his ex-wife Cate Sayers. The settlement of the lawsuit stems from a lewd photo Luke posted to his social media account in January 2025, which Cate alleged was a false representation of her actions. Luke denied posting the photo, claiming it was hacked.

Cate sued him for defamation, claiming he falsely declared in an AFL investigation that she was responsible for the breach. In court, Luke's legal representative Sandip Mukerjea read a statement from Luke, who unreservedly apologized to Cate for the hurt and harm caused. He acknowledged that she did not post the photo. Cate expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating that the lawsuit had exposed the harsh treatment of women whose reputations are often dismissed.

She did not disclose if there was a financial settlement. The agreement ends a public legal battle that had spanned media coverage over the past year.