New mum describes the heartbreak of getting divorced in her 30s


New mum describes the heartbreak of getting divorced in her 30s – and the fear of ‘starting again’ with the stigma of a marriage breakdown plaguing her

  • Cassey Maynard has opened up about her divorce after two years of marriage
  • The Byron Bay mum met her ex-husband a decade ago and got married
  • She realised soon after the wedding that their relationship had turned toxic
  • She was ‘scared of being alone and starting again’ in her early 30s
  • Now at 39 Cassey has a long-term partner and son named Asher, born in 2021 


A new mum living in Byron Bay has opened up about getting a divorce in her early 30s and the ‘stigma’ associated with a marriage breakdown.

Cassey Maynard appeared on the Peaches Podcast with founders Tori Clapham and Bec Chidiac, sharing what it was like to end her marriage after two years – and the incredible road to motherhood she has been on since that time.

The 39-year-old, who gave birth to her son Asher in August 2021, explained how she met her ex-husband a decade ago through a mutual friend while he was living in Singapore and she was in Sydney. 

Cassey Maynard appeared on the Peaches Podcast with founders Tori Clapham and Bec Chidiac, sharing what it was like to end her marriage after two years

Cassey Maynard appeared on the Peaches Podcast with founders Tori Clapham and Bec Chidiac, sharing what it was like to end her marriage after two years

The pair hit it off when their worlds collided a short time later at a party and they got engaged a little over a year into their relationship.

But before their wedding day in a luxurious Balinese resort Cassey noted there were ‘red flags’ which would lead to their eventual demise. 

‘Once we got married it all just felt bigger… and it turned toxic,’ she said of their two-and-a-half year marriage. 

The pair attempted to salvage their relationship for six months before calling it quits, leaving Cassey scared of being alone and starting again in the dating game in her 30s.

The pair attempted to salvage their relationship for six months before calling it quits, leaving Cassey scared of being alone and starting again in the dating game in her 30s

The pair attempted to salvage their relationship for six months before calling it quits, leaving Cassey scared of being alone and starting again in the dating game in her 30s

She moved out of the home they were living in together and into a spare room with a close friend.

‘I remember driving to my sisters’ house in Newcastle at that time and I was asking the universe for a sign when I saw a flock of butterflies… and I knew I was doing the right thing,’ Cassey said. 

The new mum felt a massive ‘wave of relief’ when the divorce papers were signed but she still felt ‘shame’ as their mutual friends and his family disappeared from her life. 

The new mum felt a massive 'wave of relief' when the divorce papers were signed but she still felt 'shame' as their mutual friends and his family disappeared from her life

The new mum felt a massive ‘wave of relief’ when the divorce papers were signed but she still felt ‘shame’ as their mutual friends and his family disappeared from her life

She was also worried about the stigma surrounding divorce, and was forced to watch on as her siblings cemented their long-term relationships and started having kids.

‘So I spent time working on myself and I got to experience so much… before deciding to become a mum five months ago,’ she said.

‘I travelled overseas, I did all of these fun things and I have no regrets.’

In 2020 78,989 marriages were registered in Australia, a 30.6 per cent decrease from 2019. The divorce rate remains at 1.9 divorces per 1,000 people.

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