Phoebe Burgess has revealed she still misses her NRL star ex-husband Sam as she opened up on his affair, battle with drugs and alcohol and a toxic sport environment.
The 32-year-old admitted that she frequently thought about her former lover two years after they split in October 2019. She compared the separation to losing a loved one.
'I live every day as though I have been through a loss. I loved him dearly. I miss him so much,' she told The Weekend Australian.
The pair's marriage made headlines over several scandals with Sam at the centre of them. Details of his infidelity, struggle with alcohol and drug abuse and stint in rehab were all made public.
Phoebe Burgess has revealed she still misses her NRL star ex-husband Sam as she opened up on his affair, battle with drugs and alcohol and a toxic sport environment
The 32-year-old admitted that she frequently thought about her former lover two years after they split in October 2019. She compared the separation to losing a loved one
Phoebe partly blamed their marriage breakdown on the NRL claiming the clubs did little to help her then-husband.
'He wasn't looked after,' Phoebe said. 'He wasn't protected in the right way, in the way that may have – not saved our marriage, but it might have led to a true rehabilitation, a true sense of responsibility, owning behaviour, wanting to change that behaviour.'
Phoebe said she tried to put on a brave face throughout the difficult times but revealed she was the victim of taunts and jeers while pregnant with her second child Billy and watching Sam play at Stadium Australia.
'I was heckled by the crowd, drunk people asking me if I wanted to FaceTime, and asking me where my husband was and, you know, was it his baby? It was demeaning and humiliating,' she said.
Phoebe reflected on the sexting scandal and recalled that Sam 'went white' and 'looked like he was going to vomit' when he confessed to her he was embroiled in the allegations made in 2018 - a bombshell he dropped after the pair had enjoyed a date night at the movies.
Sam was cleared of any involvement in the NRL 'sexting' affair months later.
However in the wake of the scandal, Phoebe got a call 'in the middle of the night' with the news that a Melbourne woman was claiming she'd an affair with Sam in 2017.
'That was probably the worst night of my life. I felt physical pain when I found out about that. I howled for about two hours on the ground,' Phoebe told the paper.
Sam later admitted to the infidelity, which occurred while he was away captaining England in the Rugby League World Cup, during a confessional on the latest season of the reality show, SAS Australia.
Phoebe said she tried to put on a brave face throughout the difficult times but revealed she was the victim of taunts and jeers while pregnant with her second child Billy and watching Sam play at Stadium Australia (pictured, Phoebe at ANZ Stadium in 2019)
Phoebe got a call 'in the middle of the night' with news that a Melbourne woman was claiming she'd an affair with Sam in 2017. 'That was probably the worst night of my life. I felt physical pain when I found out about that. I howled for about two hours on the ground,' she said
Phoebe partly blamed their marriage breakdown on the NRL claiming the clubs did little to help her then-husband
'I don't think I was the greatest husband at times. I embarrassed my wife. I'd had an affair with a girl, a woman in Melbourne. That's true,' he said tearfully.
'I was away on tour, and regretfully that happened. Which would have been... it would have been a tough place for Phoebe to be.'
While pregnant with their son Billy in late 2018, Phoebe says she underwent multiple tests for sexually transmitted infections as a result of Sam's cheating.
She claims that during the pregnancy, she also suffered through Sam's 'substance- induced screaming rages.'
Exes: Phoebe Burgess has revealed harrowing details of her split with her former husband, Sam Burgess. Both pictured
While pregnant with their son Billy in late 2018, Phoebe says she underwent multiple tests for sexually transmitted infections as a result of Sam's cheating. Pictured with son Billy and daughter Poppy
'These were things that I shouldn't have been tolerating in a relationship', she said.
'I was still protecting someone who was broken and behaving in such an abhorrent way, you know, leading up to the birth of my son, the drugs, the alcohol, partying, the benders, the begging.'
Sam discussed his drug and alcohol abuse on SAS Australia, and attended rehab earlier this year.
'I had a lot of personal issues going on, which turned me to drink
