The Australian Actor’s Journey Through Love and Relationships
The Australian-born actor has captivated audiences worldwide through his memorable performances in television series and films spanning more than three decades. Best recognized for his lead role as Patrick Jane in the CBS crime drama that aired from 2008 to 2015, this Launceston, Tasmania native has maintained a relatively private personal life despite his Hollywood success. However, his romantic relationships have occasionally made headlines, particularly following the dissolution of his long-term marriage and subsequent connections with younger women.
Born on July 30, 1969, the fifty-five-year-old performer built his career initially in Australian television before transitioning to American entertainment. His striking looks, charismatic presence, and genuine talent propelled him to international recognition. Throughout his professional journey, his personal relationships have evolved significantly, from a nearly three-decade marriage to post-divorce romantic involvements that have sparked public interest and media scrutiny.
Understanding the complete timeline of his romantic history provides insight into how this private individual has navigated love, loss, and new beginnings while maintaining his focus on family and career. The following comprehensive examination explores verified information about his relationships, from his early romance with his former wife through his most recent connections, based exclusively on reliable reporting from established news organizations and entertainment outlets.
The Foundation: Meeting Rebecca Rigg
The actor’s most significant and enduring relationship began in the early 1990s when he met fellow Australian actress Rebecca Rigg. Born in Sydney, Rigg established her own successful acting career with notable roles in Australian productions. The two performers crossed paths through a blind date arranged in 1991, marking the beginning of what would become nearly three decades together.
Their connection extended beyond their initial meeting when they became co-stars on the popular Australian soap opera that featured both actors in prominent roles. Playing love interests on screen while developing a genuine romance off-screen, the couple embodied the classic Hollywood narrative of art imitating life. This dual experience of working together professionally while building their personal relationship created a strong foundation for their future together.
The chemistry between the two actors proved undeniable both on-screen and in their private lives. While the soap opera that brought them together had a relatively short run, the relationship they formed during that period would last significantly longer. Their shared Australian heritage, mutual understanding of the entertainment industry’s demands, and compatible personalities contributed to the strength of their early bond.
Building a Life Together
After seven years of dating and building their relationship, the couple formalized their commitment through marriage. The wedding took place in 1998, though interestingly, they held two separate ceremonies to honor both their Australian roots and their evolving life in California. One ceremony occurred in Australia, celebrating with family and friends in their home country. The second, more intimate beach ceremony took place in Carmel, California, reflecting their new life in the United States.
The California beach wedding held special significance as their daughter, then five years old, attended the celebration. The actor later shared details about this meaningful ceremony during a television talk show appearance in 2010, describing the intimate nature of the event and the importance of having their young daughter present to witness their commitment. This unconventional approach to wedding celebrations demonstrated the couple’s desire to honor both their heritage and their present circumstances.
Throughout their marriage, the couple prioritized family while both pursuing demanding acting careers. They welcomed three children together, creating a family unit that would become their central focus. Their eldest daughter, born in 1993, followed her parents into acting and has appeared in various film and television projects. Their two sons, born in subsequent years, completed their family, with all three children reaching adulthood during their parents’ marriage.
The Hollywood Years and Career Balance
From 1995 until 2015, the family maintained their primary residence in Los Angeles, navigating the complexities of dual acting careers in Hollywood. During this period, the actor’s career reached new heights with his starring role in the procedural drama series that would define his career for seven seasons. The demanding production schedule required significant time commitments, with filming taking place in Southern California.
His wife continued her own acting work during these years, appearing in supporting roles in major motion pictures and television series. Her credits during this period included appearances in films featuring major stars and work on science fiction television programs. The couple occasionally appeared together at high-profile entertainment industry events, including Emmy Awards ceremonies, Golden Globe events, and exclusive Hollywood parties, presenting a united front to the public.
Despite the pressures of Hollywood life and demanding career schedules, the actor spoke positively about his marriage in various interviews throughout the years. In a 2015 interview with an Australian publication, he described his wife as an exceptional partner, calling the decision to marry her the best choice he ever made. He credited her with being an ideal companion for building a life together, suggesting their relationship remained strong despite the passage of time.
Private Philosophy on Marriage
The couple maintained an unconventional approach to their marriage, particularly regarding traditional celebrations and milestones. In a 2018 interview, the actor revealed they never made significant productions of anniversary celebrations, viewing such occasions as potentially adding unnecessary pressure to their relationship. He explained their philosophy centered on being teammates and maintaining friendship, which he valued more than marking calendar dates with elaborate gestures.
This practical approach to marriage reflected their down-to-earth personalities despite their Hollywood careers. The actor emphasized that ninety-nine percent of the time, he and his wife functioned as close friends, which he considered more important than romantic gestures or anniversary celebrations. This mindset suggested a mature, realistic view of long-term partnership that prioritized daily compatibility over conventional romantic expressions.
Their private nature extended beyond anniversary celebrations to their overall public presence. Unlike many Hollywood couples who actively cultivated media attention or regularly shared personal details with the press, they maintained boundaries between their professional and private lives. This discretion allowed them to raise their children with relative normalcy despite their parents’ celebrity status.
The Return to Australia and Relationship Changes
Around 2015, following the conclusion of his long-running television series, the family made the decision to relocate from Los Angeles back to Australia. The actor had expressed desires to spend more time at home with his family after years of demanding production schedules split between continents. The move represented a significant lifestyle change, reconnecting with their Australian roots and potentially seeking a different pace of life than Hollywood offered.
However, despite this geographic shift and stated desire to focus on family, cracks in the marriage apparently developed. The couple quietly separated in April 2020, though they did not publicly announce this development until January 2021. This nine-month gap between actual separation and public acknowledgment suggested their preference for handling personal matters privately before facing inevitable media scrutiny.
The timing of the separation, occurring after their youngest child turned eighteen, led some observers to speculate that the couple may have chosen to remain together until all their children reached adulthood. This theory, while unconfirmed by either party, represents a common pattern among long-married couples who prioritize their children’s stability before addressing relationship issues.
Public Announcement and Amicable Separation
When they finally confirmed their separation publicly in January 2021, the couple released a joint statement emphasizing their continued friendship and shared commitment to their children. The brief statement noted they remained close friends and affirmed their three children would always be their primary focus. This carefully worded announcement reflected their desire to present a unified front regarding co-parenting despite ending their romantic relationship.
The announcement surprised many fans who had viewed the couple as exemplifying Hollywood relationship longevity. Twenty-nine years together, including twenty-two years of marriage, represented an unusual achievement in an industry known for brief relationships and frequent divorces. The news generated significant media coverage across entertainment outlets, with many publications highlighting the couple’s long history and expressing surprise at the separation.
Following the public announcement, practical matters arose regarding their shared assets. Reports emerged that the couple placed their Santa Monica property on the real estate market, listing the six-bedroom home for over eight million dollars. This suggested a clean separation of shared assets and supported speculation that the actor might permanently relocate to Australia, where he reportedly owned a farm outside a celebrity-favored coastal town.
Moving Forward: First Post-Marriage Relationship
Just weeks after publicly announcing his separation, the actor was photographed enjoying a beach day with a new companion. Images published in February 2021 showed him at a Byron Bay beach with a woman later identified as Laura May Gibbs, an activewear designer and founder of a luxury athletic fashion brand. The photographs, which showed obvious affection between the pair, indicated the actor had moved quickly into a new romantic connection.
The thirty-six-year-old designer, significantly younger than the actor’s former wife, brought her own professional success to the relationship. She had established her brand focused on sustainable luxury activewear and had worked with several prominent Australian fashion labels before launching her own company. Her Byron Bay studio location and the actor’s nearby farm property suggested they had connected through their shared geographic area.
- Initial Public Appearance and Media Reaction: The beach photographs that first revealed the relationship showed the new couple playing in the water and displaying obvious affection. Media outlets noted the significant age gap, with the designer appearing closer in age to the actor’s eldest daughter than to his former wife. This age difference became a recurring theme in coverage of the relationship, though neither party publicly addressed such commentary. The timing of the relationship, beginning so soon after the formal separation announcement, also generated speculation about whether connections had formed before the marriage officially ended.
- Professional Connection and Shared Interests: Beyond romantic attraction, the couple appeared to share interests in wellness, fashion, and coastal living. The designer’s focus on creating ethically produced activewear aligned with growing environmental consciousness, while the actor’s ownership of rural property suggested his own interest in sustainable living. Both individuals had chosen to base themselves in Byron Bay, a coastal region known for attracting creative professionals seeking alternatives to major city life. This shared geographic preference and lifestyle approach may have contributed to their initial connection.
- Relationship Progression and Commitment Signs: As months progressed, reports suggested deepening commitment between the pair. Australian entertainment publications claimed the relationship had intensified quickly, with sources suggesting the designer had essentially moved into the actor’s property. Some reports even speculated about possibilities of marriage or expanding their family, indicating observers believed the relationship carried serious potential rather than representing a brief rebound connection following his divorce.
- Public Stance and Privacy Maintenance: Despite media attention, both individuals maintained relative privacy about their relationship details. Neither party gave extensive interviews discussing their romance or responded directly to media speculation. This discretion aligned with the actor’s long-established pattern of keeping personal matters private, suggesting he maintained this approach even amid new relationship circumstances following his highly publicized separation.
- The COVID-19 Factor and Relationship Challenges: The relationship occurred during ongoing global pandemic circumstances, which added complexity to new romantic connections. Social restrictions, travel limitations, and public health debates created additional pressures beyond normal relationship development challenges. These external circumstances would ultimately contribute to tension in the relationship, though the full impact remained private during the relationship’s duration.
Relationship Conclusion and Public Controversy
By late 2021, reports emerged indicating the relationship had ended. The split reportedly occurred around November 2021, approximately nine months after the relationship became public knowledge. Entertainment outlets reported the couple had quietly parted ways, though exact timing remained somewhat unclear due to both parties’ privacy preferences. The relatively short duration of the relationship, lasting less than a year, suggested significant incompatibilities or challenges despite initial intensity.
Speculation about reasons for the split focused partly on differing views regarding COVID-19 vaccination. The designer had publicly attended anti-vaccination mandate events and shared her perspectives on social media, positions that reportedly conflicted with the actor’s views. Some sources suggested these philosophical differences contributed to relationship strain, though neither party confirmed specific reasons for their separation.
Following speculation about their split, the designer addressed the situation through social media, posting a statement noting she normally avoided discussing private matters but wanted to clarify that her friendship and respect for the actor ran too deep for media noise to impact their lives. This statement suggested the pair maintained positive regard for one another despite ending their romantic relationship, though the specific nature of their post-relationship connection remained undefined.
Current Relationship Status: Brigette Clark
Following his brief relationship with the activewear designer, the actor eventually connected with another woman significantly younger than himself. Brigette Clark, a thirty-year-old photographer, first appeared in connection with the actor during Easter 2023 when they were spotted together at Byron Bay. The initial sightings showed Clark spending time with the actor and his two sons, suggesting a comfortable relationship dynamic that included his children.
The photographer, originally from Melbourne but based in North Bondi, had established her professional career in fashion, beauty, wellness, and travel photography. Her portfolio demonstrated work with numerous Australian and international brands in the fashion and lifestyle sectors. Her client list included swimwear companies, sustainable fashion labels, and major retail brands, indicating professional success in the competitive photography industry.
On-Again, Off-Again Dynamic
The relationship between the actor and the photographer has been characterized as having an on-again, off-again nature. Following their initial Easter 2023 sightings, the couple appeared together periodically over subsequent months. In October 2023, they were photographed linking arms during another beach outing at Tamarama, a Sydney suburb, suggesting their connection had continued despite apparently intermittent nature.
Media coverage of this relationship has focused extensively on the age gap between the pair. At thirty years old, the photographer is only slightly younger than the actor’s eldest daughter, who is thirty-one. This twenty-five-year age difference has generated significant commentary, though neither party has publicly addressed such observations or defended their relationship choice. The pattern of coverage reflects ongoing media fascination with age-gap relationships involving older male celebrities and younger women.
By September 2024, the couple was spotted together again at Tamarama Beach, with publications identifying Clark definitively as the woman who had been photographed with the actor during previous sightings. This confirmed their connection had persisted, despite apparent breaks, for over a year. The beach setting for multiple sightings aligned with the actor’s known love of coastal environments and surfing, suggesting shared lifestyle interests.
Current Status and Future Speculation
As of late 2024 and into 2025, the relationship appears to continue, though its exact status remains somewhat unclear due to limited public information. In June 2025, the actor attended an international film festival in Italy without the photographer, appearing solo at various festival events. This solo appearance sparked some speculation about relationship status, though attending professional events alone does not necessarily indicate relationship changes.
Engagement rumors surfaced briefly in October 2025 when certain publications reported the couple had been seen shopping for jewelry, including pieces typically associated with engagements. However, these reports were quickly labeled as likely false by fact-checking sources, suggesting such speculation lacked credible foundation. The pattern of unverified engagement rumors represents common tabloid coverage of celebrity relationships, where speculation often exceeds confirmed information.
An interesting professional connection exists between the actor’s current and former partner. The photographer has worked professionally with the activewear brand founded by the actor’s previous girlfriend, creating an unusual overlap between his post-divorce relationships. Whether this connection influenced the dynamics between any of the parties involved remains unknown and purely speculative.
Children and Co-Parenting Approach
Throughout his post-divorce relationships, the actor has maintained focus on his three adult children, as promised in the separation statement released with his former wife. His eldest daughter has followed both parents into acting, appearing in various projects and building her own career in entertainment. His two sons have maintained lower public profiles, though both have occasionally appeared at public events with their father.
The actor’s willingness to include his sons in outings with his newer partner suggested comfort introducing romantic connections to his children. The Easter 2023 sightings showing the photographer spending time with the actor and his sons indicated either serious relationship status or significant comfort level allowing such family integration. This approach contrasted with some divorced parents who maintain strict separation between new romantic relationships and interactions with their children.
Public statements from both the actor and his former wife have consistently emphasized their commitment to co-parenting and maintaining friendly relations post-divorce. No public conflicts or contentious custody situations have emerged in media coverage, suggesting successful navigation of their separation regarding their children. Both parents appear to have maintained relationships with all three children individually, supporting their independent paths while remaining involved parents despite adult children’s ages.
Public Persona and Privacy Maintenance
Throughout his romantic history, the actor has consistently maintained boundaries between his public professional life and private personal matters. Even during his long marriage, he rarely gave extensive interviews about his relationship, preferring to keep such details private. This pattern has continued post-divorce, with the actor declining to publicly discuss his dating life or address media speculation about his relationships.
His social media presence remains relatively limited and professionally focused. His Instagram account primarily features work-related content, personal interests like photography and surfing, and occasional family moments, but rarely includes romantic relationship content. This selective sharing approach allows him to maintain some public connection with fans while protecting relationship privacy.
When photographed with romantic partners, the actor typically does not comment on or confirm relationship status through official statements. Instead, information about his relationships emerges primarily through paparazzi photographs and entertainment media coverage rather than direct communication from him. This passive approach to relationship publicity reflects his apparent preference for living his personal life without extensive public documentation or commentary.
Career Continuity Amid Personal Changes
Despite significant personal life changes, the actor has maintained his professional career throughout his divorce and subsequent relationships. He has continued taking acting roles in both Australian and international productions, including a prominent role in an Australian television series adaptation of a popular novel. His professional reputation appears unaffected by his personal life developments, with continued opportunities in quality projects.
The actor’s return to Australian-based projects following his Hollywood years has allowed him greater control over work-life balance while remaining professionally active. Rather than pursuing the demanding schedules of American network television series, he has been selective about projects, allowing more flexibility in his personal life. This career approach suggests lessons learned from his years balancing demanding work with family responsibilities during his marriage.
Film festival appearances and industry recognition continue demonstrating his standing in both Australian and international entertainment communities. His June 2025 attendance at the prestigious Italian film festival indicated ongoing engagement with global cinema culture and maintained connections across the international film industry. These professional activities exist independently of his personal relationship status, reflecting his established career reputation.
Age Gap Relationships and Public Perception
The actor’s post-divorce relationships have consistently involved significantly younger women, generating predictable media commentary about age gaps in celebrity relationships. This pattern reflects broader societal discussions about older men dating younger women, particularly when age differences span two or more decades. Media coverage often emphasizes age gaps through comparisons to the celebrities’ own children’s ages, as seen in repeated observations that his current partner is similar in age to his daughter.
Public reactions to such age-gap relationships vary widely, from supportive views emphasizing consenting adults’ rights to choose their partners, to critical perspectives questioning power dynamics and motivations in relationships with substantial age differences. The actor has not publicly addressed these discussions or defended his relationship choices, maintaining his typical privacy stance even amid commentary about this aspect of his personal life.
Some observers note that female celebrities in similar situations often face harsher criticism than their male counterparts, suggesting gender-based double standards in how age-gap relationships are discussed publicly. Others argue that any substantial age gap warrants examination of potential power imbalances regardless of genders involved. These broader cultural conversations play out through media coverage of individual celebrity relationships like those involving this actor.
Conclusion
The Australian actor’s romantic history encompasses nearly three decades of marriage to fellow actress Rebecca Rigg, beginning with a blind date in 1991 and culminating in two wedding ceremonies in 1998 before their quiet separation in April 2020 and public announcement in January 2021. The couple shared three children and maintained a relatively private relationship throughout their time together, with the actor consistently expressing appreciation for his wife until their eventual separation. Following divorce, he quickly entered a relationship with activewear designer Laura May Gibbs in early 2021, a connection that lasted approximately nine months before ending reportedly due to philosophical differences including views on COVID-19 vaccination policies. His current on-again, off-again relationship with photographer Brigette Clark began around Easter 2023 and has continued intermittently through 2025, marked by periodic public sightings at Sydney beaches and characterized by a twenty-five-year age gap that has generated significant media commentary. Throughout all relationship developments, the actor has maintained his established pattern of privacy regarding personal matters, rarely commenting publicly on his romantic life while continuing his professional acting career with projects in both Australian and international productions. His relationships post-divorce have consistently involved significantly younger women, reflecting patterns common among male celebrities following long marriages, while his commitment to co-parenting his three adult children with his former wife appears to remain steady based on public statements emphasizing their continued friendship and shared parental priorities.
