Labour leader Chris Hipkins has said he will not engage in a public dispute with his ex-wife after she made allegations about him in a social media post.
Speaking to reporters at Parliament on Tuesday, Hipkins became emotional and briefly held back tears while addressing the situation. He rejected the claims made by his former partner, Jade Paul, but said he would not respond to each allegation in detail, stating that doing so would not be in the best interests of his family.
“In the time that I've been in politics, I made a very conscious effort to keep my private life private. And to keep my family out of the spotlight, particularly my children,” he said, as quoted by Stuff.
When asked how his children were coping, Hipkins appeared tearful before responding, “My kids are with... my kids are with her. So I don't know.”
According to a report by Stuff, Hipkins had returned to New Zealand from Australia earlier in the day and was met by media at Wellington Airport. Reporters questioned him about a Facebook post Paul published on Sunday night. Hipkins has repeatedly denied the allegations, first in a statement on Monday, again at the airport, and later during the press conference at Parliament.
“These are ultimately personal and family matters. I’m not going to get into a backwards and forwards with her in public about that,” he told reporters.
He also acknowledged that relationship breakdowns can be difficult. “Everybody who's been through it understands that marriage breakups are very difficult. There are always going to be disagreements. There are always going to be things that you regret,” Stuff has quoted.
Hipkins and Paul married in 2020 and separated in 2022. The couple have two children together.
During the 2023 election night coverage, Hipkins confirmed he had begun a new relationship with Toni Grace, to whom he proposed last year.
On Tuesday, Hipkins rejected an allegation that he had an extramarital affair while married to Paul. The claim referred to an alleged relationship with “the intern”, which Hipkins said was false.
“It’s a matter of public record that Toni interned in my office many, many years ago, back in about 2010. I met Jade in 2013. My relationship with Toni started in 2023, over a year after Jade and I separated,” he said, as quoted by Stuff.
Hipkins said he had not sought legal advice specifically about Paul’s post but had looked into the possible publication of untrue allegations.
“I have sort some advice about the potential publication of allegations against me that are untrue,” he said.
“I reject the allegations she’s made and her characterisations of those events.”
According to Stuff, despite the controversy, Hipkins confirmed he intends to remain the leader of the New Zealand Labour Party and plans to contest the next election.
“Yes, absolutely,” he said when asked whether he would stay in the role and stand again. He added that colleagues in the party had been “very, very supportive,” Stuff has quoted.
In an earlier statement released on Monday, Hipkins said: “I reject the allegations entirely and don’t intend to make any further comment,” Stuff has quoted.
For legal reasons, media organisations, including Stuff, have not published the specific allegations made in Paul’s original post, which remain unsubstantiated.
After the story became public on Monday, Paul wrote a second post saying she had “had enough”.
“So many women are hurt by high-profile men who just do what they want with no consequences”.
“We get told all of the time that if we speak out then our lives will be ruined, our kids will be impacted. “We get labeled as ‘crazy’ or defamatory when we tell the truth. Today I have had enough,” the post read.
Paul later deleted the original post but told reporters she stood by the claims made in it.
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