Sydney Swans co-captain Kieren Jack has held a media conference to address the long-standing issues he's had with his parents that trickled onto social media this week – and the verdict is that he’ll be siding with his partner Charlotte Goodlet, Fairfax reports.
“I’m in the public eye and I acknowledge that family did a lot to get me in this position. There is a private matter going on,” Jack said on Wednesday. “My priorities of support are firmly with my partner and my little brother who I love and care for very much.”
With brother Brandon by his side, Kieren announced that reconciliation with his parents, NRL great Garry Jack and wife Donna, would not be happening in the near future. The family feud was brought into the spotlight when Kieren’s mother publicly tweeted at him, appearing to be disappointed at the fact that he didn’t want them at his 200th AFL game against the Geelong Cats on Friday.
"@kjack_15 so sad. Dad 200 RL you 200 AFL & you don't want us there, your parents. No appreciation for all the yrs helping you get there," Donna posted.
Sources say that the feud has been going on for more than a year, with Kieren’s parents not approving of his girlfriend, model and Nine News producer Charlotte Goodlet, who he has been dating for 3 years. Goodlet has so far not made official comment.
Kieren's parents were apparently not given tickets to the game, but he clarified that they’re “not banned”, and that it’s up to them to decide if they want to attend the match. Garry Jack had revealed to The Age that Swans officials had told him that Kieren had given his tickets to Charlotte and her parents, which is what brought their issues to a head.
Brother Brandon appears to firmly be on Kieren’s side, having apparently requested Garry to leave the Swans reserves change room, while his other sibling Rhys has liked a number of his mother’s tweets about Kieren, making his allegiance clear.
With all this going on, the Swans star is attempting to stay focused on the game. “There are other things in life, it’s a big game for this club and that’s my priority, make sure we get the win,” he said. While it seems like their issues are far from over, it’s definitely a firm warning to all of us – nothing good can ever come from teaching your parents how to use social media.
