Luke Sayers and Cate Sayers court battle over dick pic scandal and defamation claims
Consensus Summary
The court battle between Luke Sayers and his estranged wife Cate centers on a January 2025 incident where a photo of Luke Sayers’ penis was posted on his X account, tagged with a Carlton sponsor’s manager. Luke Sayers denies posting it, alleging Cate Sayers did so, while she denies involvement and claims she was not in the same location. The dispute escalated after Luke Sayers provided a statutory declaration to the AFL and Carlton Football Club, alleging Cate Sayers has untreated mental illnesses, which she vehemently denies. The AFL cleared Luke Sayers of wrongdoing, but Cate Sayers is suing for defamation, claiming the statutory declaration damaged her reputation. Luke Sayers is seeking to move the trial to the Federal Court to limit publicity, while Cate Sayers wants a Supreme Court jury trial to restore her reputation publicly. Both sides dispute the credibility of each other’s claims, with the court weighing whether the trial should proceed in open court or under restricted conditions.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- A photo of Luke Sayers’ penis was posted on his X (Twitter) account on January 2025 and was deleted 15 minutes after appearing
- The photo tagged a female manager at a major Carlton Football Club sponsor
- Luke Sayers denies responsibility for the X post, claiming he was in the shower at the time and alleges Cate Sayers posted it
- Cate Sayers denies posting the picture and claims she was not staying in the same hotel as Luke Sayers when it was posted
- Luke Sayers provided a statutory declaration to the AFL and Carlton Football Club alleging Cate Sayers has mental illnesses and fails to take medication, which she denies
- The AFL conducted an inquiry into the X post and cleared Luke Sayers of any wrongdoing
- Luke Sayers is seeking to move the case to the Federal Court’s family court division, while Cate Sayers wants it heard in the Supreme Court before a jury
- The Supreme Court justice Andrew Watson temporarily closed the court on May 18, 2026, to discuss whether the trial can continue in open court
- Cate Sayers wore an eggplant-colored suit to court
- Luke Sayers stood down as Carlton president on January 18, 2025, before any investigation commenced
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Luke Sayers’ barrister Matthew Collins KC argued the X post is a defamatory action against him and that he faced significant media attention after its publication
- The AFL inquiry cleared Luke Sayers of wrongdoing, and Cate Sayers claims the statutory declaration defamed her
- Justice Watson previously ordered the live stream turned off due to concerns about increased social media and public attention complicating the case
- Cate Sayers issued subpoenas for Carlton Football Club and the AFL, as revealed by the Herald Sun
- Justice Watson expressed concern for members of the public unfamiliar with the law regarding open court proceedings
- Cate Sayers wiped tears from her eyes during court proceedings on May 18, 2026
- Luke Sayers’ legal team argues the case should be moved to federal court to restrict publication, while Cate Sayers wants a Supreme Court jury trial for public vindication
- Cate Sayers claims the statutory declaration was sent to multiple people involved with the AFL in Victoria, NSW, and Queensland, not just the general counsel and Carlton’s barrister
- Aussie actress Rachel Griffiths was present in court during the proceedings
- Cate Sayers’ barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC disputes the statutory declaration was published under qualified privilege and alleges malice
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- Newscomau states the photo was deleted 15 minutes after appearing, while The Age states it was posted for 13 minutes
- Newscomau claims the photo was posted in January 2026, while The Age specifies January 2025
- The Age mentions Luke Sayers’ legal team denies widespread publication of the statutory declaration beyond the AFL’s general counsel and Carlton’s barrister, while Newscomau does not specify the number of recipients
- Newscomau states the court was temporarily closed on Monday morning (May 18, 2026), while The Age does not specify the exact timing of the closure beyond the day
Source Articles
Huge development in AFL dick pic scandal
A Supreme Court battle has erupted between former Carlton boss Luke Sayers and his estranged wife over an intimate image posted to social media.
Credibility the key issue in defamation case over Luke Sayers lewd photo scandal
Lawyers for former Carlton boss Luke Sayers are fighting to have his estranged wife’s defamation case moved away from the Supreme Court, to keep the trial away from the public glare.