The ex-partner of National Rugby League star Josh Reynolds has tearfully denied faking three pregnancies, although admitted she showed the Australian athlete a fabricated ultrasound scan out of "spite".
Arabella Del Busso, 30, has broken her silence after she was accused of faking multiple pregnancies and miscarriages while dating Reynolds, a five-eighth for the Wests Tigers. In an interview with 60 Minutes, which aired on Sunday night, the lingerie model sheepishly said she was "denying those claims" that she had emotionally-manipulated the NRL star to swindle his money.
Yet when pressed by 60 Minutes reporter Tom Steinfort if she was outright rejecting the accusations, Del Busso backtracked: "I didn't say that".
The model met the NRL star on Instagram in 2018 following a one-night stand. Del Busso later told Reynolds, 31, that she had fallen pregnant with twins.
Despite his initial shock, Reynolds told 60 Minutes he quickly embraced the idea of being a father, making the announcement to his fans via Instagram in December 2018 alongside footage of the duo's gender reveal.
However, Reynolds grew suspicious when there was "always an excuse" as to why Del Busso couldn't show him ultrasound sonograms. Nineteen weeks into the alleged pregnancy, Del Busso claimed she had miscarried, a revelation that "broke" Reynolds. He admitted he had developed feelings for Del Busso, and the two officially became a couple.
In March 2019, Del Busso revealed she had fallen pregnant again, but miscarried just weeks later. Yet by June, she claimed she was expecting for a third time. Just two months into the pregnancy, Reynolds once again became wary when a 12-week ultrasound sonogram given to him by Del Busso was "not a proper scan", according to his friends.
During the interview, Del Busso admitted to Steinfort that the scan did not belong to her, saying she gave Reynolds the fake sonogram to be "spiteful".
The couple's turbulent relationship developed into an NRL scandal when Del Busso accused Reynolds of domestic violence after a recording of a heated argument was leaked to the media.
Although Reynolds was eventually acquitted in February, his career hung in the balance after spending a night in jail.
The confrontation was sparked by Reynolds sending naked pictures to other women, Del Busso claims, leading her to grab his phone. Reynolds is filmed bursting into the bedroom, telling her to "get out" or he would "f***ing flip", calling her several obscene words.
Speaking to 60 Minutes, Reynolds denied taking nude pictures and said he had been ordering Uber Eats - a claim supported by his app history. He acknowledged that although the video showed him at his "absolute worst", he would never hit a woman.
However, Del Busso did not file the domestic violence complaint against Reynolds until December 2019 - four months after the argument. The athlete's lawyer claims she only reported the incident after he sent her a text claiming he knew about her allegedly fabricated pregnancies.
"I know you have never been pregnant... and all the scans were made up on the internet,' parts of the text message read, as reported by the Daily Mail.
"It's emotional abuse... get out of my life otherwise the police will take action against you."
Reynolds said he still wonders what became of Del Busso's third pregnancy, although Del Busso claims she had an abortion in December.
"Given everything that we've been through, what had happened, I couldn't deal mentally, physically. I couldn't do it," she told 60 Minutes.
Following the highly-publicised scandal, Reynolds claims Del Busso doctored photos and injected herself with IVF fertility drugs to appear pregnant. His legal team alleged in court that his ex-girlfriend was never pregnant, which they say is supported by medical documentation.
Reynolds says the model also lied about her mother's death and told him she had cancer to dupe him, and former boyfriends, into giving her money. He reportedly gave her more than AU$4000 after she said she needed financial assistance for her mother's funeral.
After it emerged her mother was indeed alive, Del Busso told 60 Minutes it was the woman she considered to be her mother who had actually died.
