Brisbane Lions delete video of Lachie Neale's daughter in tears after backlash from her mother Jules
Updated . First published
The Brisbane Lions have pulled a social media post featuring Lachie Neale's daughter, Piper, after the clip sparked a wave of online backlash led by her mother, Jules Neale.
Jules, who hit headlines in recent months following her public split from Lachie, lashed out at the club after they shared an Instagram video of Piper, four, holding a microphone to her dad's face as he asked, "Are you excited to run onto the ground tomorrow.?"
She shook her head no, which made the AFL player laugh and wrap her up in a hug.
Lachie Neale with daughter Piper Neale ahead of his 300th game. Instagram/@brisbanelions
The video cut to footage of Piper being carried by Neale across the iconic MCG, where the Lions faced the Demons last weekend.
The little girl was crying with her hands covering her face, overwhelmed by the spectacle as her dad was preparing to celebrate his 300th game with an honour guard, later running through a banner with his teammates.
Lachie, 32, tried his best to comfort her before ultimately handing her off to a staff member.
The video was captioned, "Our shy queen 😭🫶".
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The little girl was inconsolable. Instagram/@brisbanelions
The sight of the spectacle overwhelmed her. Instagram/@brisbanelions
Jules, 36, who remained in Perth with the couple's one-year-old son Freddie, rebutted in the comment section, "She's not shy. She's scared and it's not funny".
Her comment started a debate among fans. One agreed with her, saying Piper looked "absolutely terrified": "The poor little darlin. When ego takes over, the child suffers 💔 I hope she's okay ❤️🩹"
Another said, "Relax, she won't even remember it lol".
But another pointed out: "It's literally posted on social media?? Digital footprint? The poor child doesn't deserve to be posted again."
Neale's son Freddie stayed in Perth with his mum Jules. Instagram/ @jules_neale
Some sympathised with the child and her father, with one writing, "Baby girl ❤️ it's a lot ! So pleased she was with her dad for such an important milestone . Family is everything."
"Aww poor darling has gone thru so much ❤️" one said.
"In the end it's just a daddy protecting his daughter ❤️" one fan commented.
The post has since been removed from the club's social media channels following the criticism.
She was handed off to a staff member. via Getty Images
The marriage of the AFL player and his wife Jules broke down in December after the latter publicly claimed she had been "betrayed", in light of rumours about the couple's marriage.
It was alleged that the betrayal was an affair between Lachie and her former best friend Tess Crosley, who was married to the AFL star's mate Ben Crosley.
Lachie recently spoke out about the public split during an appearance on Triple M's The Rush Hour with Dobbo & Elliott.
"When it's your personal lives and your private matters, you probably don't think it's newsworthy," he said.
"In a sense, I sort of get it – captain of the footy club and a public profile in a way - but it felt over the top.
"It was pretty crazy there for a while but hopefully everyone's moving on and it's great to have the footy back on, which has taken over the headlines I think and hopefully everyone can move on."
Jules has since moved back to Perth with their children.
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