Rachel Griffiths’ – Rachel Griffiths appeared at the Victorian Supreme Court on Monday as Cate Sayers pursued her defamation action against estranged husband Luke Sayers. The Hollywood actor’s involvement, paired with Luke Sayers’ push to move the case to the Family Court, has ra
Rachel Griffiths sat behind Cate Sayers in the Victorian Supreme Court on Monday—smiling as the defamation case played out—before leaving with Cate Sayers and her barrister, Sue Chrysanthou SC.
Her presence has set off fresh alarm bells within AFL circles. where the legal fight over Luke Sayers’ “d*** pic” scandal is already being watched with intense concern. The Muriel’s Wedding and Six Feet Under star was photographed as she exited. and there is speculation that she was taking notes while in court.
Griffiths’ reported activity has added a new layer of exposure to a dispute that has. so far. done significant reputational damage. It has been reported that she was there for research for a production drawing inspiration from the court battle—an unannounced project described as one that would “draw inspiration from this legal showdown. ” according to the AFR.
For the AFL, that possibility arrives at a delicate moment. The court proceedings have already included arguments from Luke Sayers’ lawyers pushing to move the matter to the Family Court. The reason offered in court was to drastically curtail how the case can be reported.
That push stands in sharp contrast to the position taken by Cate Sayers, who opposes moving the proceedings. In court. Chrysanthou told the court Cate Sayers was seeking public vindication and that she wanted jurors to hear directly from her. “From my client’s perspective, that involves the public being able to see that and to hear her evidence,” Chrysanthou said.
The emotional pressure in the room was clear. Mrs Sayers was seen wiping away tears during Monday’s appearance as the court was told she and Mr Sayers would face “inevitable” cross-examination.
The hearing also turned on claims that go far beyond the explicit image at the center of the dispute. Cate Sayers alleges Mr Sayers implied she was behind the publication of the explicit photo, according to court documents.
Mr Sayers. who accused hackers of infiltrating his social media accounts and sending the graphic sexual image to a female executive connected to one of the club’s key sponsors. told the court the account had been hacked. The photo briefly appeared on his X account during a family trip to Italy in January last year. It was removed within minutes before Mr Sayers publicly claimed his account had been compromised.
Mr Sayers quit as president of the club on January 22 last year, and the announcement came just minutes after the AFL cleared him of any wrongdoing.
Cate Sayers’ defamation case alleges the AFL investigation fell short in critical ways. In filings lodged in the Victorian Supreme Court. she alleges league investigators never interviewed her. never seized devices for forensic testing. and never properly examined claims about the origin of the image.
Her legal team has also accused the AFL of working too closely with Luke Sayers and Carlton while the league publicly cleared him of wrongdoing. “The AFL did not carry out an adequate, independent or impartial investigation,” the court documents state.
The dispute also includes accusations around statements provided to the league. Cate Sayers claims she was defamed after Mr Sayers provided a statutory declaration to the AFL Commission’s Integrity Unit. in which she accuses him of alleging she was responsible for posting the lewd photo on his X account. Mr Sayers, for his part, claims she took a confidential draft statement written for submission to the AFL Integrity Unit.
Beyond the courtroom debate, there is a separate worry shaping how the AFL leadership may respond. A previous development in the Supreme Court fight could force senior AFL officials. club figures and advisers to produce emails. messages and internal documents linked to the fallout from the explicit image. Among those named in the proposed court orders is AFL corporate affairs boss Sharon McCrohan. previously brought in to help manage public relations fallout after the post featuring the photo went viral.
The court heard competing applications on whether the matter should be heard in the Family Court, and Justice Andrew Watson reserved his decision on the two competing paths after Monday’s proceedings.
The public reaction didn’t pause after the hearing. On Monday night. the estranged couple’s daughter Bronte uploaded an image of a cake with the words “F*** them all” written in icing to Instagram shortly after the hearing finished. Bronte’s sister Claudia Sayers shared a screenshot of media coverage about the cake post. adding the caption: “Thanks dad for always being in our corner.” Bronte later re-shared that message to her own followers. making the support for their father clear once again.
If the matter continues to unfold in a way that brings more internal records into view—and if it captures the attention of a wider audience beyond the courtroom—AFL officials could face the kind of fallout they have been trying to contain since the image went viral and Luke Sayers was cleared just before quitting as Carlton president.
Rachel Griffiths Cate Sayers Luke Sayers AFL defamation action Victorian Supreme Court Family Court Sharon McCrohan Carlton Integrity Unit d*** pic X account Italy trip Sue Chrysanthou SC Andrew Watson