It’s been dubbed one of sport’s saddest family feuds, but it seems now rugby league “immortal” Wally Lewis, 66, finally has a reason to smile.
For the first time, after years of estrangement, Woman’s Day can exclusively reveal Wally has made his first steps towards reconciling with his three adult children.
Wally Lewis’ first steps towards family reunion
A close source has confirmed eldest son Mitch, 40, has begun the long and painful process of mending the rift with his famous dad.
“It’s a start, after years of unimaginable heartache. Mitch and Wally recently reunited face-to-face for a Brisbane radio promotion,” our source confirms of the meet-up at the fan event, which took place at KIIS 97.3, where Mitch is a presenter.
Just days after the event, images appeared on Wally’s Instagram account depicting a smiling father and son posing in front of a private jet.
Beaming from ear-to-ear, Wally tellingly posted, “Well that was a fun 24 hours!”, tagging everyone on board, including his first-born Mitch, before signing off, “Thanks for a great road trip, gang!”
According to our source, it appears this may well be the ice-breaker.
“It’s definitely a move in the right direction that they at least put aside past grievances after years of reported hostility – and while it might be small steps, it’s given Wally fresh hope.”
What happened with Wally Lewis and his kids?
As reported in Woman’s Day in January, Mitch, along with brother Lincoln, 38, and sister Jamie-Lee, 36, had lost all regular contact with their dad, and Wally “remained much estranged from his close-knit first family” after he left their mum Jacqui, following 36 years of marriage, back in 2021.
At the time, sources confirmed that “they have absolutely no intention of reconciling with their famous sporting dad anytime soon.”
But it seems time can be a great healer, with speculation mounting that a family reunion could be on the cards.
“Mitch is a legend on the Brisbane airwaves – he knew when this promotion was happening, and that it involved his dad, that he would have to drop his guard and put on a brave face and be the true professional he is,” our source explains.
“Judging by Wally’s snaps, it appears they may have even sat together on the plane for the two-hour round-trip flight.”
One observer on the day has confirmed that the pair appeared to be in good spirits.
“They were joking and laughing with the competition winners. It was just a wonderful day for everyone, and seeing Wally with his eldest son was something special.”
Sadly, according to our source, all three of the Lewis offspring remain adamant they have no intention of welcoming their dad’s new wife Lynda Adams, 59.
“That’s a long way off – the hurt their father caused their mother is hard stuff for them to move on from,” adds our source.
“Jamie-Lee and Lincoln aren’t interested in having their father back in their lives just yet, particularly Lincoln, who respects his brother has a job to do but, at this stage, isn’t looking for a reconciliation.”
Wally’s health battles
As Wally continues with his health battles after being diagnosed with probable Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain condition linked to head injuries from his football career, he’s now more focused than ever to finally make peace with the rest of the family.
“He knows he’s got a lot of ground to make up, but as the years pass by, it’s to be hoped he realises that, in the end, family is everything – he might just have to make the next step, before it’s all too late.”
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