Influencer Steph Kelly has separated from her husband after eight years together.
The 28-year-old, who found fame on TikTok after a horror car accident in 2018 left her stomach and intestines ‘paralysed’, wed her longtime partner Adam in June last year.
The Sydney nurse and model appears to have removed all traces of her ex-husband from her public-facing Instagram page, although she left her profile photo as a selfie taken in her lace wedding dress and veil.
The couple had been together for almost a decade, with Adam getting down on one knee with a Tiffany solitaire in 2022 and them saying ‘I do’ surrounded by family and friends.
Videos shared from their big day showed the happy couple changing into pyjamas at their reception, and having their first dance to Taylor Swift’s Love Story.
Steph was born with life-threatening heart conditions and a potassium wasting disorder that saw her spend her teenage years in a wheelchair, but the car accident she and Adam suffered in 2018 made the young woman chronically ill. She has not eaten solid foods in four years.
Stephanie ‘Steph’ Kelly has separated from her husband after 8 years together
The chronically ill TikToker wed her partner in June 2023
The couple had been together for almost a decade, with Adam getting down on one knee with a Tiffany solitaire in 2022 and them saying ‘I do’ surrounded by family and friends.
‘I felt it was time to let you all know that after 8 years together, my husband and I have decided to go our separate ways,’ Steph wrote on Tuesday.
‘We got together at a young age, and as life unfolded, found ourselves growing in different directions.’
Steph found fame on social media in 2020 for her subversive videos that documented her daily struggles to live a happy life with her ‘invisible illness’.
She even made videos documenting the effort involved in getting a spray tan for her wedding and choosing a dress that wouldn’t show the ‘central line noodle’ that delivers nutrients to her heart.
Fans of the content creator have speculated for some months that her marriage had broken down.
Steph announced in October that she and Adam were moving from their double-storey house into a new home, but then she appeared to be living with a friend of hers instead.
Prior to 2020, she was connected to feeding tubes for 16 hours a day. She now relies on a medical technique called Total Parenteral Nutrition to survive.
Previously, Steph’s videos consisted of her home life with her partner and their dog, Oatley, but in recent months she has been embracing the influencer lifestyle — as much as her chronic illness will allow — modelling in n Fashion Week, checking herself out of hospital to attend Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour on multiple nights, attending lavish premieres and invite-only parties including the recent TikTok Awards.
Stephanie Kelly posted an announcement of her marriage ending to social media on Tuesday
Steph reassured her 500,000 followers that she is ‘surrounded by so much love and support,’ and said her network of close friends has been a ‘huge comfort during this time.’
‘I’m so grateful for the memories and moments the two of us have shared, and we will always hold a special place in each other’s stories,’ Steph continued in her break-up announcement.
‘I wish him nothing but the best and ask that no negativity is sent his way.’
Steph reassured her 500,000 followers that she is ‘surrounded by so much love and support,’ and said her network of close friends has been a ‘huge comfort during this time.’
She then said that she plans to take a short break from her daily online activities, electing to take one week to recover from the breakdown of her 8-year relationship.
‘I’m also going to take a short break from social media for about a week to recharge and reflect. Thank you all for your kind words and understanding.’
‘I’m sorry if I don’t get back to all your messages right away, but I truly appreciate your support.’
While Steph sustained permanently life-altering injuries in the car crash, Adam had minor injuries because the other vehicle hit her side of the vehicle.
She explained that they had only been together for 18 months prior to the accident.
‘I think honestly the accident made us stronger as a couple,’ Steph said in a video shared in February 2023, three months prior to her wedding day.
‘He is the love of my life and backstory: Before the accident I was quite unwell and always in and out of hospitals, so I knew from the start he would’ve stuck around even if the outcome was worse. So he is a very good man and I am so grateful to have him.’