Controversial groom Sam Ball faced harsh accusations that he lied about ditching his new bride Elizabeth just hours after their wedding in order to attend the funeral of his ex-girlfriend’s mother in New Zealand.
However, Woman’s Day can exclusively reveal that Sam was indeed telling the truth.
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Woman’s Day obtained a copy of Sam’s flight itinerary from the funeral. (Image: Supplied)
After allegations circulated that the Sydney-based foreman, 26, had fabricated the excuse in order to escape spending one-on-one time with Elizabeth on their honeymoon, his ex-girlfriend reached out to Woman’s Day to clear his name.
“When I told Sam that mum had passed away of course his natural reaction was to attend the funeral out of respect for my late mother, myself and my family, we have a lot of history together,” the ex, who spoke out on the condition of remaining anonymous, says.
“He immediately came straight over to New Zealand, arriving on September 22, and we attended the funeral on the 24th. He left to go back to Australia on the 29th.”
She went on, “It’s quite appalling I even have to address the fact that it actually happened and that he did not make it up – you would have to be sick in the head to make something like that up.”
Sam’s ex also provided Woman’s Day with a copy of his flight itinerary that he sent her, her mother’s order of service card from the funeral and the text messages she sent Sam at the time of her mother’s death, all which back-up Sam’s version of events.
However, the evidence presented does seem to indicate two inconsistencies in the story played out on screen.
Text messages obtained by Woman’s Day show Sam found out about the death on the night of his wedding, not the morning after.
And while Sam was in New Zealand for the funeral, his flight itinerary shows he wasn’t there for the entire duration of the two-week honeymoon – he was only there for seven days.
Sam’s ex-girlfriend reached out to Woman’s Day to help him clear his name. (Image: Channel Nine)
Woman’s Day‘s source claims Sam’s unexplained absence for the rest of the honeymoon may have been a deliberate move to create more drama on the show.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if it was all planned and Sam was kept away from the other contestants until he made his dramatic entrance halfway through the first dinner party.
He could have been prompted to say the controversial line, “Honey, I’m home,” in order to create even more drama. It sounded quite unnatural and his late entry certainly created some tension!”
Listen to the MAFS Confessional podcast for more explosive secrets from the show
