Sam Burgess poses with mystery blonde as she wishes him happy birthday in gushing Instagram post

By Charlie Coë and Stephen Gibbs For Daily Mail Australia And Australian Associated Press 07:36 15 Dec 2020, updated 23:35 15 Dec 2020

Sam Burgess has been pictured with a leading Sydney nutritionist on his birthday after splitting from his wife Phoebe.

Jade Spooner, the founder of science-based healthy eating program Equalution, shared a photo of her with the ex-NRL star on Instagram on Monday to mark his 32nd birthday.

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‘Happy Birthday to this one of a kind,’ she wrote alongside the snap. 

The South Sydney Rabbitohs legend split from his wife and the mother of his two children in late 2019 and is now defending charges of assaulting and intimidating her father Mitchell Hooke.

Embattled footy star Sam Burgess has celebrated his birthday with a leading Sydney nutritionist (pictured, together) following his split from his wife Phoebe The woman in the photo, Jade Spooner (pictured), is the founder of science-based healthy eating program Equalution Ms Spooner (right) is friends with Burgess’ mother Julie (second from right) and socialite Tori May (centre) – who is in a relationship with Sam’s brother Luke

Ms Spooner has previously been pictured alongside Burgess’ mother Julie and socialite Tori May – who is in a relationship with Sam’s older brother Luke. 

The business woman founded nutrition program Equalution in January 2015 and describes herself on her website as an author and entrepreneur.

The post follows Phoebe giving evidence in court against her estranged husband last month.

Burgess is fighting claims he threatened her father at the Hooke family home in the New South Wales Southern Highlands shortly after their split.

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Phoebe – a 31-year-old social media influencer – also admitted leaking a damning 50-page police statement she made about Burgess to a newspaper which published allegations against him of domestic violence and drug misuse.  

At the start of her evidence Phoebe was asked to clarify the status of her relationship with 31-year-old Burgess. ‘I’m his ex-wife,’ she told Moss Vale Local Court.

Under cross-examination she was questioned about whether she was still Phoebe Burgess or had reverted to calling herself Phoebe Hooke.

The South Sydney Rabbitohs legend split from his wife Phoebe (pictured, together) in 2019 after first separating in late 2018 Mitchell Hooke, pictured with daughter Phoebe, claims Burgess stood over him in a menacing manner, called him a ‘piece of s***’ and said ‘I’m going to get you’ during a confrontation at the Hooke family home. He says he feared being hit by the footballer

‘As long as my children are Burgess I will always be Burgess,’ she said.

Phoebe’s Instagram account still features loved-up pictures of the now warring couple, including shots of their wedding at the Hooke family estate, Daffodil Downs. 

The Burgesses, who married in December 2015 and separated in October last year, have two children: Poppy, who turns four in January, and Billy who turns two this month. 

Sam Burgess and his wife Phoebe arrive at the 2016 Dally M Awards in September 2016 This picture of the former couple is still on Phoebe Burgess’ Instagram account. The Burgesses married in December 2015 and separated in October last year

Burgess has pleaded not guilty to intimidation and common assault arising from the alleged incident at the Hooke home on October 19 last year.

Mr Hooke claims Burgess stood over him in a menacing manner, called him a ‘piece of s***’ and said ‘I’m going to get you’. 

He says he feared being hit by the footballer.

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Burgess claims it was Mr Hooke who threatened him by saying, ‘I’m going to destroy you if it’s the last thing I do. I’m going to destroy you and your career.’