2 weeks ago
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There's an old saying about war: history is written by the victors.
And that expression rang loud and clear on Saturday when a smiling Ellidy Pullin greeted her adoring army of Gen Z fans at the launch of her capsule collection in Torquay on Victoria's Great Ocean Road.
It was the latest triumphant chapter for Ellidy, who rose from the ashes of unfathomable grief in 2020 - following the death of her partner, Australian snowboarding champion Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin - to become a globe-trotting influencer with a lucrative personal brand.
But the successful fashion drop was almost derailed by the arrival of an unwelcome narrative. Weeks before Ellidy's partnership with fashion house Ena Pelly was released, Chumpy's father Chris Pullin went public with their family feud.
Chris alleged that Ellidy 'blocked' him after he raised objections about the changing direction of the charity she co-founded in Chumpy's honour; that he was no longer in contact with his only grandchild, Minnie; and that he was now the subject of damaging false gossip being spread by Ellidy's supporters online. (It is not suggested that Ellidy was in any way involved in the spreading of the false gossip.)
He spoke to us from his home in Eden, on the NSW Sapphire Coast, where he lives alone with his dog Stella after the accidental death of his son five and a half years ago, and his wife's death from cancer last April.
A smiling Ellidy Pullin greeted her adoring army of Gen Z fans at the launch of her latest capsule collection in Torquay, on Victoria's Great Ocean Road, on Saturday
The podcast host stepped out in a mini denim dress from her collaboration with Ena Pelly
Pairing the frock with frilled white socks and chunky black heels, she slipped on a set of reflective sunglasses while posing for photos and engaging with customers
During the second of his two interviews, he admitted: 'I am just so lonely.'
Ellidy hasn't commented on his claims, aside from a cryptic Instagram post in which she vowed to 'protect [Minnie] at all costs'. Perhaps she does not feel the need to, with her latest public move appearing to speak for itself.
Life for Ellidy appeared to be business as usual on Saturday - a striking indication that she has moved on from the rift surrounding The Chumpy Pullin Foundation, which closed in December 2024 after three years in operation.
While the pain of losing Chumpy remains a defining part of her life, her public trajectory suggests she has found ways to move forward. By contrast, Chumpy's father has spoken openly about how the loss continues to weigh heavily on him.
To a casual observer, if this sad story were to be cast in terms of 'winners' and 'losers', Ellidy would appear, at least on the surface, to be emerging on the winning side.
Indeed, the podcast host, 33, cut a confident figure as she attended her fashion launch in a mini denim dress from her Ena Pelly collaboration.
Pairing the frock with frilled white socks and chunky black heels, she slipped on reflective sunglasses while posing for photos and engaging with customers.
She looked positively glowing, perhaps reflecting her recent surge in popularity on social media.
It was the latest triumphant chapter for Ellidy, who rose from the ashes of unfathomable grief in 2020 following the death of her partner, snowboarding champion Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin (right)
The successful fashion drop was almost derailed by the arrival of an unwelcome narrative. Weeks before Ellidy's partnership with fashion house Ena Pelly was released, Chumpy's father Chris Pullin (pictured) went public with their family feud in two interviews with the Daily Mail
Ellidy's online popularity had taken a slight dent in early January when Chumpy's dad first went public with his side of their falling-out - but the dip didn't last
Per Social Blade, she has seen her follower count jump by almost 4,000 in the last few weeks alone since the Mail interviewed Chris
Since Chris shared his story, Ellidy has leapt in popularity
If she happened to be feeling any strain over her rift with Chumpy's father making headlines, she certainly wasn't showing it.
Her journey to fame had begun with tragedy in July 2020 when her partner Chumpy - a famous Winter Olympian - died in a freak spearfishing accident at the age of 32. In the hours after Chumpy's death, and with the legal permission of his parents, sperm was retrieved from his body and she later conceived his child via posthumous IVF.
In the years since, Ellidy has shared her life online as a single mother to Minnie Alex Pullin, while also writing a book, hosting a podcast and - until late 2024 - running The Chumpy Pullin Foundation.
She has found love again, too, revealing her relationship with building contractor Brock Wadsworth in an Instagram post last November.
Her podcast, Darling, Shine!, which she co-hosts with Chloe Fisher, the wife of Grammy-nominated DJ FISHER, has gained almost 400,000 followers on Instagram alone, where fans regularly tune in to keep up with her extraordinary life story.
Ellidy's online popularity had taken a slight dent in early January when Chumpy's dad first went public with his side of their falling-out - which he claimed stemmed from an email he and wife Sally sent to the board of The Chumpy Pullin Foundation in May 2024, complaining about the organisation shifting away from its original mission to help kids excel in sport and instead reinventing itself as a mental health charity.
But the dip didn't last. Since Chris shared his story, Ellidy has leapt in popularity. According to analytics website Social Blade, she has seen her follower count jump by almost 4,000 in the last few weeks alone, bringing her to more than 372,000.
By the standards of local influencers, this puts her close to the top tier.
In her latest career coup, Ellidy has also bagged a partnership with Ena Pelly, known for its collaborations with the likes of Bec Judd and Elle Ferguson.
Her casual-chic collection, known as Lucky Star, went live this week, with Ellidy featuring prominently in the advertising material.
And just a week earlier, Ellidy revealed her partnership with budget airline Jetstar, flying out on a luxury, sponsored trip to Far North Queensland with daughter Minnie.
'We had the best little tropical getaway trying out one of the packages in the Jetstar Holidays Kids Fly & Stay Free Sale,' she wrote alongside a video of their travels.
She scored accommodation, flights and even a trip to K'gari, formerly known as Fraser Island.
While Ellidy hasn't responded to the Mail's previous requests for comment on her family rift, one thing is quite clear: her fast-paced life as a prominent social media celebrity is a world away from widowed Chris's lonely existence in Eden.
In the background of her rift with Chumpy's parents, Ellidy has emerged as a prominent social media celebrity who seems to live a fast-paced life that's a world away from widowed Chris's lonely existence in Eden, NSW. (Pictured: Chumpy Pullin with his parents, Sally and Chris)
The mother of one regularly shares sun-drenched snaps from her exotic travels, including beachside holidays and villas. She is seen here with her new partner, Brock Wadsworth
Ellidy - who changed her last name from Vlug to Pullin after Chumpy's death - has leaned into brand collaborations in recent years, some featuring daughter Minnie
While Ellidy's enviable lifestyle fuels fascination on gossip forums and Reddit threads, it also underscores the stark contrast with the quieter, solitary life of Chumpy's father, Chris
The mother of one, from the Gold Coast, regularly shares sun-drenched snaps from her exotic travels, including beachside holidays and villas.
Ellidy - who changed her last name from Vlug to Pullin after Chumpy's death - has also leaned into other brand collaborations in recent years, some featuring Minnie, promoting companies such as Covergirl, Cetaphil, Breville and Tigerlily.
While Ellidy's enviable lifestyle fuels fascination on gossip forums and Reddit threads, it also underscores the stark contrast with the quieter, solitary life of Chumpy's father, Chris Pullin, from whom she is allegedly estranged.
Chris spoke to the Daily Mail about the bitter falling-out with Ellidy, sparked by disagreements over the charity established in his late son's name.
The foundation was created with the permission of Chris and late wife Sally, but he claims it drifted from its original mission of helping disadvantaged children succeed in sport before quietly closing before Christmas 2024.
Ellidy appeared to be having the time of her life on Saturday as she posed up a storm with fans
She could be seen hugging customers as they stopped to chat
A singing and dancing Ellidy looked carefree at the fashion launch
She snapped selfies and appeared unperturbed by recent headlines
Ellidy was also spotted having a laugh as she rode on the back of a bicycle with another woman
She also briefly took a break, sitting down to rest her feet as she appeared to film some videos
In an email sent to the charity's board almost two years ago, which he later shared with the Mail, Chris and Sally expressed disappointment in the foundation for shifting its focus from youth sport to mental health initiatives.
Chris said the change troubled him.
Chumpy drowned in July 2020 in a freak spearfishing accident on Queensland's Gold Coast, a tragedy his father insists had nothing to do with mental health issues.
He claims the dispute over the foundation led to an estrangement between the Pullins and Ellidy, alleging she blocked both him and Sally after their email to the board went unanswered.
Launching a fashion collection was clearly thirsty work as Ellidy stopped for a refreshing drink
She concealed her gaze behind a pair of trendy sunglasses
At one stage, Ellidy was interviewed by a content creator
Chris maintains he has not seen his only grandchild since the charity falling-out.
He described the situation as 'devastating'.
Sally Pullin died in April 2025 after battling an aggressive cancer. Chris said the estrangement from Ellidy and Minnie 'broke her heart'.
Now living alone after losing both his son and wife, Chris hopes to honour Chumpy's legacy by creating a youth sports camp at the Alex Pullin Stadium at Mansfield Secondary College.
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