The reason behind Sam Armytage’s shock split from husband
New details have emerged over the possible reason behind Sam Armytage’s shock split from her husband.
The former Sunrise host announced her separation from husband Richard Lavender on Friday, telling The Daily Telegraph, "Yes, Richard and I have separated. All breakups are hard, but it’s somewhat lessened by the fact it’s amicable and we wish the best for each other."
Samantha and Richard began dating in April 2019 and announced their engagement in June 2020, getting married just a few months later on New Year’s Eve 2020.
The news of their split comes just weeks before what would’ve been their fourth wedding anniversary.
While news of the split came as a shock to most people last week, an insider told Yahoo Lifestyle the break-up has apparently been widely speculated within the TV industry for months now thanks to one telling clue.
According to the source, Armytage’s move from Channel Seven to the Nine Network - ahead of her upcoming hosting gig of The Golden Bachelor - was a major hint that something was not right in the couple’s relationship.
"As soon as Sam announced she was leaving Seven for Nine and making a big TV comeback, we all started suspecting something had happened as her main reason for initially quitting Sunrise was to be with him and settle down away from the industry," the source claimed.
After the split was confirmed, many began speculating on the reason behind their separation, and while some publications claimed that tension between Armytage and Lavender's daughters was the reason, nothing has been confirmed.
The insider tells Yahoo Lifestyle, "Sam’s been keeping the details pretty quiet but the impression everyone gets is she just wasn’t ready to retire and give everything up yet, which is more likely to have caused tensions as Rich is notoriously private."
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