Nadia Bartel was betrayed by a member of her own inner circle who leaked her sensational 'cocaine' video to the media, a source close to the high-profile AFL WAG has claimed.
The clip was accidentally uploaded to Instagram by Bartel's friend and business partner, Ellie Pearson, on Thursday night and deleted shortly after.
However, within minutes it was going viral after a 'frenemy' - an enemy who falsely poses as a friend - maliciously made a copy and began sending the damning footage to media outlets.
Nadia Bartel (pictured) was betrayed by a member of her own inner circle who leaked her sensational 'cocaine' video to the media, a source close to the high-profile AFL WAG told Daily Mail Australia on Saturday
A source told Daily Mail Australia on Saturday that the spread of the video was a targeted attempt to take down Bartel.
'The cocaine video was deliberately leaked by someone within Nadia's elite Melbourne social circle,' the source said.
'This is someone who for all intents and purposes seems to be Nadia's friend on Instagram but they are secretly jealous,' they added.
The clip was accidentally uploaded to Instagram by Bartel's friend and business partner, Ellie Pearson, on Thursday night and deleted shortly after. However within minutes, it was going viral after a 'frenemy' - an enemy who falsely poses as a friend - maliciously made a copy and began sending the damning footage to media outlets
'The cocaine video was deliberately leaked by someone within Nadia's elite Melbourne social circle,' the source said. Nadia's friends are pictured. Daily Mail Mail Australia is not suggesting any of the women pictured were involved in the leak
The source goes on to say that the video being posted posted by Ellie Pearson in the first instance was as a genuine mistake, 'but Nadia's nemesis pounced on it and immediately sent it to people she knew could get it to the press quickly.'
Leaking the video was part of 'a campaign of revenge… someone wants to shut her down,' the source added.
Illegal gatherings during lockdown with 'drugs delivered to their door' are common among socialites, the source claims, and the video leaker is believed to take part in those illicit events.
'This is someone who for all intents and purposes seems to be Nadia's friend on Instagram but they are secretly jealous' the source added. Leaking the video was part of 'a campaign of revenge… someone wants to shut her down'
The source makes it clear that Bartel's good friends like Bec Judd and Jessie Murphy are NOT the leaker, as while the person is 'well known in the social group' they are not a fellow WAG.
There is sympathy for Bartel's plight among her A-list pals, the source added, as the video leaker 'broke the code' about keeping such activity private within tight glitterati circles.
'Nadia is genuinely apologetic but a lot of people in the upper echelons of Melbourne society feel genuinely bad for her,' the source says.
The source goes on to say that the video being posted posted by Ellie Pearson in the first instance was as a genuine mistake, 'but Nadia's nemesis pounced on it and immediately sent it to people she knew could get it to the press quickly'
'These sorts of videos of celebrities behaving badly are doing the rounds everywhere – in private WhatsApp groups and Facebook chats. The fact this video leaked to the press and went public broke the code.'
Pearson, who filmed the viral clip initially by mistake, revealed she was remorseful over the incident.
'I'm just devastated,' Pearson told The Herald Sun on Friday evening.
'These sorts of videos of celebrities behaving badly are doing the rounds everywhere – in private WhatsApp groups and Facebook chats. The fact this video leaked to the press and went public broke the code' the source added
A new report claims the video initially found its way online due to a cracked phone screen.
The Sydney Morning Herald claimed on Saturday that Pearson was attempting to send the video to her sister.
However, because her phone screen was damaged, she hit the wrong buttons.
As a result, the clip was posted to both Instagram and Facebook, and was online for around ten minutes before being deleted, the paper claims - however it was quickly copied by others and shared around, going viral on Friday.
Mistake: The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Saturday that Pearson (left) was attempting to send the video to her sister. However, because her phone screen was cracked, she hit the wrong buttons. As a result, the clip was posted to Instagram and Facebook, and was online for around ten minutes before being deleted, however it was quickly copied by others and shared around, going viral on Friday
Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Ellie Pearson for comment.
Bartel was visited by police after she was filmed breaking Melbourne's strict lockdown and snorting what is believed to be cocaine at a party on Thursday night.
Victorian police attended the 36-year-old's $3million inner-city residence on Friday evening, hours after the video was accidently uploaded.
Two plainclothes police officers were seen arriving at Bartel's home but were reportedly unable to make contact with her.
In the viral video, Bartel snorts the powder off a $1.50 Kmart plate being held by a dark-haired woman, as a third woman displays a
