Fears for Stephanie Rice as her followers think she has been brainwashed after moving to Dubai and finding God: 'Poor girl'

Stephanie Rice has sparked concern among her fans after she relocated to Dubai and embraced evangelical Christianity, with some followers questioning whether the former Olympic champion has been 'brainwashed' after making a series of dramatic life changes.

The three-time Olympic gold medallist, 38, took to Instagram this week via a new account after taking her pastor husband Mark Lassey's last name. 

In a lengthy post, she explained how she had turned down an opportunity to become CEO of a company - despite describing it as her dream job - because she believed God was telling her to resign. 

While the decision left her unemployed without any savings, Stephanie said she believes God will lead her into a prosperous future.   

'I was offered to become CEO, my dream position... but God asked me to resign, I obeyed,' she wrote. 

Her confession sparked some confusion among fans, prompting Stephanie to return on Friday with a video of herself declaring that naysayers simply 'don't get it'. 

'There are a lot of people that have been commenting on my posts like, "That's stupid,"' she said. 'And I'm like, "You don't get it, you just don't get it."'

Stephanie became emotional as she read from her bible and spoke about the uncertainty of her current circumstances, saying she was looking forward to sharing her eventual success story with her followers.

However, the video prompted another wave of backlash, with some followers questioning whether she has been 'brainwashed' by religion. 

'The delusion is so amazing babe!' one user sarcastically commented, while another added: 'Poor brainwashed girl.' 

'You've lost the plot. Get some help,' another agreed, as a fourth user concurred: 'Mate, you are cooked. Get some help.'

Another user meanwhile wrote: 'She's been sucked into a religious cult. It's sad because she is obviously a smart woman.' 

However, there were plenty of users who rushed to defend Stephanie. 

'I get it babe! God has so many blessings coming your way. He is so faithful,' one user wrote.  

Someone else agreed: 'How blessed are we that we actually understand it's beyond our comprehension. So encouraging, amazing.' 

And another added: 'Yeah you tell 'em!! Our God is faithful.' 

Stephanie revealed how God had told her to quit her job in a post on Sunday, in which she reflected on the dramatic highs and lows that have shaped her life since retiring from elite sport.

'Feels like the perfect time to start a fresh account, in my new name, and with a new commitment to sharing the journey God is taking me on,' she wrote.

In her bio, Stephanie described the account as being for the woman 'who knows she is capable of more but is tired of starting over'. 

'I'm rebuilding at 38, but this time, with Jesus at the centre of it all,' she added.

The new account marks another chapter in Stephanie's extraordinary reinvention since she left Australia for Dubai in 2023, declaring she had bought a one-way ticket to begin a new life with God at the centre of it.

The Olympian admitted she was taking a risk by leaving behind her existing Instagram audience to build a new community from scratch.

'Probably part crazy to be walking away from 140,000 people, but honestly I'd rather start again knowing the people joining now want to be a part of the story God's writing, not the one that's already been written, even if that's just a small amount,' she wrote.

Stephanie also offered a candid account of how she had come to reassess her relationship with success.

'I've won Olympic gold. Made millions of dollars. Lost everything. Found Jesus,' she wrote alongside a photograph of herself wearing a purple jacket and gold Dior earrings.

'And now, at 38, I'm rebuilding my career all over again. On the outside I had it all. Don't get me wrong. It was incredible. But somewhere along the way, I started tying my value to my success,' she continued.

'My confidence went up and down, depending on how I was performing, how much money I was making and what other people thought of me.'

The former swimming star said public scrutiny, hateful comments, legal battles and failed businesses had contributed to some of the most difficult periods of her life.

She credited her Christian faith with helping her through those struggles, writing that she had been exhausted from trying to turn her circumstances around when she found Jesus.

'I surrendered it all to him and we started the most incredible journey together,' she said.

Stephanie subsequently sold her possessions, packed up her life in Australia and moved to Dubai without a job, friends or a plan for what would come next.

She later secured a role as a company director, where she said she was earning more than she had in years.

'Eight months into that role, I was offered to become a CEO, my dream position,' she revealed, adding: 'But God asked me to resign. I obeyed.'

The decision has left Stephanie facing another professional reset, despite believing her career would be further along by now.

'It's been one of the most testing seasons of my life, but I trust God and I've learned I can't force or speed up his plans or when he opens the next door. But I can control what I do in the meantime,' she wrote.

Stephanie is now using her new account to promote her business consulting services, with a focus on women who feel they have untapped potential.

She ended her post with a message of encouragement for those who might be experiencing similar setbacks.

'You don't lack dreams or desire, you lack the consistency and system to see it through,' she wrote.

Stephanie first rose to international fame at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where she won three gold medals, including world-record victories in the 200m and 400m individual medley.

She married Lassey, a pastor with the Kingdom Church, in January 2025, four months after he proposed.

The wedding took place at a vineyard in Lassey's native Perth.

The couple met at the start of 2024 and got engaged in September after seven months of dating.

Mark is a father to three sons - Tyler, Joel and Luke - from a previous relationship.