Schapelle Corby was spotted at the airport hugging a friend goodbye on Monday.
The convicted drug smuggler gave the blonde man a big hug as she dropped him off at the Gold Coast airport. The pair were twinning with black hoodies as Schapelle farewelled the unknown man warmly and set him on his way.
LONG TERM LOVE
It’s been five years since Schapelle, 47, split from her long-term boyfriend Ben Panangian who she met in 2006 when they were both imprisoned in Bali for drug-related offences.
Schapelle was arrested on drug smuggling charges when 4.2 kg’s of cannabis was found in her bodyboard bag in 2004 and she spent eight years incarcerated before being released on parole in February 2014.
In 2017, after completing her parole she was deported back to Australia although the couple maintained a long distance relationship over the next few years.
But Ben was unable to visit Schapelle, reportedly due to his drug convictions although the couple enjoyed several overseas holidays together in hot spots such as Thailand and Vietnam.
An Aussie holidaymaker who was staying at the same resort as Schapelle and Indonesian Ben in Vietnam in 2018 told Woman’s Day how well-suited the pair appeared.
“She seemed so happy, and wherever she was he was by her side. It was actually really nice to see. If I hadn’t realised who she was, I would’ve just thought they were a couple of young honeymooners,” the tourist revealed.
“He seemed to dote on her.”
LOW PROFILE
In recent years, Schapelle has kept a low profile although she did star on Channel Seven’s SAS Australia in 2020 and Dancing With The Stars a year later.
She also sells painted resin clocks which she creates herself and sells via social media.
BROKE DOWN
Schapelle, who has always maintained her innocence and says the drugs found in her belongings were planted, struggled with mental illness during her time in a Balinese prison. In 2019, during her first live TV interview, she broke down as she revealed the huge toll being convicted and locked up had on her.
“I lived in my brain. The brain is very powerful and I could not control anything. I couldn’t eat… I was catatonic. It’s when your body shuts down and people have to massage your hands and feet, but my mind was so busy,” Schapelle revealed.
