Disgraced rugby league star Joe Westerman, who was caught performing a sex act on a woman behind a Greggs, has re-married just weeks after his betrayed ex-wife tied the knot with a new man.
England international Westerman was dumped by his first wife Lauren after being caught on camera performing a lewd sex act with a woman in an alleyway behind the popular bakery chain.
The woman involved was never identified but Lauren said she was a friend’s wife.
The embarrassing headlines, sparked by the footage that went viral on social media, also landed the 36-year-old player in hot water with his Super League club Castleford Tigers.
As footage of his sex act went viral, the heartbroken mum-of-three went public with her disgust at Westerman’s behaviour, threw him out of the family home and began divorce proceedings.
Six months on from the scandal, Westerman found happiness with local estate agent Alison Hopkinson, 37, and the pair wed on Monday in an intimate ceremony with family and friends.
Rugby league star Joe Westerman is remarried after being caught in a lurid sex act
Westerman tied the knot with estate agent Alison Hopkinson in an intimate ceremony
Rugby league star Westerman delivers his speech at Monday’s wedding in Scarborough
Westerman shared photos of the big day on Instagram, captioned: ‘A day we will never forget. Thank you to everyone who made it so special. Here’s to our forever. The Westermans.’
He wore a beige suit for the ceremony in Scarborough, while Alison wore an A-line dress accompanied with a short train.
The pair’s nuptials comes just weeks after Lauren got hitched to HGV mechanic Karl Holmes.
Lauren, who has now taken her new husband’s surname, wrote on Facebook: ‘Someone once told me that you’ll only ever be happy in life if you marry your best friend and I feel so lucky to be doing just that.’
Sharing photographs from the celebrations, she added: ‘Thank you again to everyone who came and celebrated with us. It really was the best day of our whole lives.’
A family friend told the Daily Mail the wedding felt like a particularly sweet ending after the very public collapse of Lauren’s marriage to former England international Westerman.
The friend said: ‘Something so good has come from something so bad.
‘Lauren was mortified by what Joe did to her. She is a very private person and for that footage to go viral was humiliating.
‘I especially felt for their eldest daughter, who was at senior school at the time.
‘It was awful for the family, but Lauren has come through it. Now she’s happy and that’s what matters.
HGV mechanic Karl, who has ‘been through some dark times as well’, is helping her ‘learn how to trust again’.
Karl, who bears more than a passing resemblance to Lauren’s 6ft 4in ex, proposed during a trip to Gran Canaria in April and has repeatedly gushed over his new wife on social media.
In one loving Facebook post, he wrote: ‘This woman is truly one in a million no matter what ideas I come up with, she goes with it.
‘Find yourself a women like this and nothing’s ever a worry or problem again.
‘No matter what, she has my back and nothing is too much. Love you darling, never stop being you.’
At the couple’s wedding reception, an emotional Karl told guests: ‘I would never, ever change anything of her. She’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met and I will stick by her.’
Lauren and her new man went public with their romance in August 2023 – six months after her first husband was caught with his trousers down after a night out drinking.
The primary school teacher spoke of her anger and humiliation after her teenage daughter was shown the seven second clip by friends.
Westerman apologised for his actions and issued a grovelling apology blaming his ‘decision-making around alcohol’. He was also fined by his Super League club and told to carry out community service as a punishment.
Their nuptials come weeks after Westerman’s ex-wife Lauren tied the knot with fellow rugby player Karl Holmes
Joe Westerman and Lauren separated after his drunken infidelity went viral
Soon after his night of shame, Westerman struck up a romance with estate agent Alison Hopkinson, to whom he is now married
In a series of texts to Lauren he wrote: ‘Words will never ever explain how sorry I am. I can’t explain what happened cos I physically can’t remember. It’s disgusting and I now have to live with it forever. Losing you and the kids is heart-breaking Lauren, you deserve so much better.’
Adding: ‘You always said alcohol would f*** me up. Story of my life. I miss you like crazy. U was perfect. I need you to know I can’t remember anything about that night. I look like a zombie.’
But the words cut no ice with Lauren who ended their nine-year marriage and told her husband to leave the marital home.
Lauren said she would never take back her cheating husband ‘one trillion per cent’ and said she felt sorry for her children and those of the woman involved.
Lauren said: ‘What kind of example would I be setting to my children – particularly my girls – if I were to give it another go?
‘I want them to know that this is not all right, that it isn’t acceptable behaviour in a relationship and that we all have self-worth.
‘I now have to think about my children and begin rebuilding our future together. It’s daunting, but he’s got no one to blame but himself.’
She added: ‘Truth is, he only told me because it was on social media. But I’m glad it was found because the thought of kissing him after that just makes me feel sick.’
