Stepping into the sun with billionaire hospitality baron Justin Hemmes at his harbourside mansion, Madeline Holtznagel lets her blossoming bump show through a loose dress shirt.
Life, it seems, couldn’t be more perfect for the 27-year-old model.
Two days later, Madeline’s older – and, at one time, more famous – sister Simone is pictured stony-faced as she walks through Sydney with her ex-partner, celebrity personal trainer Jono Castano, who pushes their baby daughter Gia in a stroller.
With sunglasses covering her gaze and her arms crossed defensively, the physical and emotional distance between the former couple is stark on their co-parenting outing.
Thirty-one-year-old Simone’s family situation couldn’t be more different to that of her younger sister. Now a single mother, just a few short months ago she and Jono had been the picture of happiness upon Gia’s arrival.
Photos posted from the hospital on Easter Sunday showed the new parents smiling from ear-to-ear with their newborn, before the trio disappeared from the spotlight – presumably to soak up every precious moment as a family.
But the baby bubble burst just eight weeks later.
In news that rocked Sydney’s celebrity scene, Simone – who first made the Holtznagel name famous on Australia’s Next Top Model – announced she had moved back to her family’s humble home in Wollongong to raise Gia alone as a single mother.
Stepping into the sun with billionaire hospitality baron Justin Hemmes at his harbourside mansion, Madeline Holtznagel lets her blossoming bump show through a loose dress shirt. Life, it seems, couldn’t be more perfect for the 27-year-old model
Two days later, Madeline’s older – and, at one time, more famous – sister Simone is pictured stony-faced as she walks through Sydney with her ex-partner, celebrity trainer Jono Castano, who pushes their baby daughter Gia in a stroller. With her arms crossed defensively, the physical and emotional distance between the former couple is stark on their co-parenting outing
There was no explanation for why.
With her parents Margaret and Stephen rallying to support her, Madeline has also stepped up as an involved aunt, giving Simone much-needed respite by helping look after Gia, even as she prepares to welcome her own little one.
Motherhood for Madeline, of course, is going to be very different. Her child will be the third heir to the Hemmes hospitality empire courtesy of their father Justin, 52, who is the boss of pub and restaurant group Merivale.
As Simone leans on her parents and sister for help, the younger Holtznagel will likely have an army of helpers on hand. She will even be able to count on the support of Justin’s ex-partner Kate Fowler, also a model, who shares two daughters, Alexa, nine, and Saachi, eight, with the business mogul and with whom she remains extremely close.
Simone and Madeline’s motherhood journeys couldn’t be more different
Though the Holtznagel name was brought to Australia’s attention by Simone, the Hemmes name that Madeline’s son or daughter will bear is one of the most well-known in Australia.
Justin is the only son and sole heir of Merivale Group founder and nightclub mogul John Hemmes. He took over the entire business upon his father’s death in 2015 and – in spite of Sydney’s lockout laws – has steered the company to even greater success.
Today, he is regarded as Australia’s hospitality king, with more than 80 venues to his name – including Ivy, Queen Chow and Establishment – and billions in assets Merivale CEO.
With a net worth of $1.39billion, Justin and his family are known for living a life of luxury in his $100million mansion, often jetting off on his seaplane to remote, luxury destinations.
Just days before revealing their baby news, Justin and Madeline jetted back to Sydney from yet another holiday with Justin’s two daughters from his former relationship.
It is a big step for the notoriously private couple, who began dating in 2019 when Madeline was just 22 and he was 47. One of Justin’s friends has even moved out of his family compound so they can make room for baby number three.
Madeline and Justin will be raising their child at his family’s Vaucluse estate, which has been in the Hemmes family for more than 40 years and is widely regarded as one of the finest homes in the Harbour City.
Having been purchased by Justin’s late father for just $500,000 – the price of a studio apartment in Sydney today – Justin has since completely overhauled the eight-bedroom property, modernising its eye-catching interiors.
The heritage-listed harbourfront mansion was renovated by Brian Hess, of Sydney architectural firm Hess Hoen, and now features a huge airy kitchen and breakfast bar, with a ten-sear dining area.
Filled with custom-made pieces, the modern build boasts all the classic elements of the traditional family home while also adding some sleek and modern finishes.
With her parents Margaret and Stephen rallying to support her, Madeline has also stepped up as an involved aunt, giving Simone much-needed respite by helping look after Gia
The master suite includes a spacious bedroom, dressing area and bathroom, as well as a separate lounge, with a four-poster bed framing the vast space.
A huge outdoor patio and garden will be perfect for Justin and Madeline’s child to run around in while the grown-ups relax in the pool with its outdoor bar.
The renovation of the 1840s mansion, known as the The Hermitage, was completed in 2016.
While they will raise their child at the Vaucluse estate, Justin also boasts a vast residential property empire in addition to his ever-growing collection of pubs and commercial buildings around Sydney and New South Wales.
With billions worth of dollars in assets, it is not known exactly how many homes he owns, but he is thought to have spent at least $900million on real estate.
Last year, it was reported that he spent $38million on two beachfront properties in Byron Bay, buying one from Stephen Hains, the son of late billionaire David Hains.
He has also snapped up more than 10 pubs in just three years, taking over ownership of the likes of the Paddington Arms, the Alexandria Hotel and the Collaroy Hotel.
He also famously bought the Beach Palace, renaming it Coogee Pavilion, as well as Bondi’s Royal Hotel in 2018 as he began to make a name for himself as Mr Sydney.
Though the Holtznagel name was brought to Australia’s attention by Simone, the Hemmes name that Madeline’s son or daughter will bear is one of the most well-known in Australia
While it will be Madeline’s first child, Justin shares his daughters Alexa and Saachi with his ex-girlfriend Kate Fowler, from whom he separated in early 2018.
Like Madeline, Kate is from a famous family Down Under. Her sister is New Zealand model Georgia Fowler, best known for walking the Victoria’s Secret runway. Their father is golfer Peter Fowler.
Madeline will no doubt be able to lean on Kate for support throughout her pregnancy, as she and Justin remain on good terms co-parenting their children.
In fact, Justin even went as far as to gift Kate a $7.5million mansion in one of Sydney’s most exclusive suburbs – less than 10 minutes’ drive from his own Vaucluse pad.
The businessman transferred the luxury home into Kate’s name on September 24, 2020. The only condition is she can’t sell the four-bedroom home without her ex’s permission.
She is also not allowed to remove Justin’s ‘interest’ in the house or create a situation where another person could claim legal ownership by living there for 12 years.
Putting his blended family at the top of his priorities, Justin and Madeline often jet off with Kate and her new boyfriend David Oettle on overseas holidays.
Having a child is a big step for the notoriously private couple, who began dating in 2019 when Madeline was just 22 and he was 47. One of Justin’s friends has even moved out of his family compound so they can make room for baby number three
Justin and Madeline will be raising their child at his $100million Vaucluse estate, which has been in the Hemmes family for more than 40 years and is regarded as one of Sydney’s finest homes
Most recently, the group all headed to Queenstown, New Zealand, with Alexa and Saachi.
Justin also employs a long-term nanny, Alana Sutherland, who has been working for his family for almost all of Alexa and Saachi’s lives and will likely play a central role in Justin and Madeline’s child’s upbringing.
First employing her seven years ago, Alana works five days a week – ‘day and night’ – on a one week on/one week off basis. She has even accompanied the family on trips to Europe.
While it is clear Madeline will have plenty of resources at her disposal when she becomes a mother, she can also rely on her own close-knit family.
Madeline’s parents Margaret and Stephen have proven themselves to be pillars of support for Simone during her first few months as a single parent and will likely lend their younger daughter a hand.
Madeline will be able to count on the support of Justin’s ex-partner Kate Fowler (pictured with the Merivale CEO in October 2015), who shares two daughters, Alexa, nine, and Saachi, eight, with the businessman and with whom she remains extremely close
Like Madeline, Justin Hemmes’ ex Kate Fowler is from a famous family. Her sister is New Zealand model Georgia Fowler (pictured in January 2019), while her father is golfer Peter Fowler
Following her separation from Jono, Simone has left Sydney and is understood to be living full-time with her parents at their Wollongong family home.
‘My family and friends have gone absolutely above and beyond for me, and I am lucky that the negatives feel a lot easier with them by my side,’ she recently told Women’s Health.
While adjusting to life as a single mother and nursing a broken heart, Simone has found time for one holiday: last month, she checked into the InterContinental Hayman Island Resort on the Great Barrier Reef with Gia and her mum Margaret.
The getaway proved to be welcome relief for Simone, who has found herself in a situation every young mother dreads.
Mystery still surrounds why Simone and Jono quietly went their separate ways when Gia was just eight weeks old
Mystery still surrounds why Simone and Jono quietly went their separate ways.
They split when Gia was just eight weeks old, but news of their separation would not publicly emerge until months later when Jono told Daily Mail Australia they had called it quits – but hinted they might possibly reconcile.
‘Who knows what the future holds, our idea is just to be the best parents for Gia at this stage,’ he said in a statement at the time.
Meanwhile, a friend of the couple said the ‘writing was on the wall’ for ‘some time’.
At about this time, a Sydney newspaper reported that Simone’s loved ones had concerns Simone’s model lifestyle wasn’t compatible with Jono’s career as a fitness influencer.
While they seem to be trying to amicably co-parent, with Simone recently visiting Jono in Sydney with their daughter, she has hinted at difficulties between them. (They are pictured in May 2023)
While they seem to be trying to amicably co-parent, with Simone recently visiting Jono in Sydney with their daughter, she has hinted at difficulties between them.
In a cryptic interview with Stellar magazine, Simone said she ‘couldn’t change’ the man she loved as hinted the situation was untenable.
‘I wanted to set an example for my daughter; that’s something that shifted for me. One day I was like, “What am I doing? This isn’t right.” And I would hate if she was ever in this situation,’ she said.
‘You have to do what is right for you at the end of the day. No matter the number of promises or anything else that people make, when they show you who they are, believe them. Because you can’t change people.’
She added that raising Gia alone was the right decision and she had no regrets.
‘I’ve never felt more sure of anything, and I know I can do it by myself. It’s unfortunate that I’m mostly having to do it by myself, but I couldn’t think of it any other way, really,’ she said.
‘What I’m doing just feels very right for me, the most important thing to me is that Gia is happy and healthy, and that I’m happy too.’
Simone still dips her toes into modelling, but now seems to be focused on the ‘mum-fluencer’ space, most recently fronting a breastfeeding-themed campaign for the lingerie brand Nala
While adjusting to life as a single mother, Simone has found time for one holiday: last month, she checked into the InterContinental Hayman Island Resort with Gia and her mum Margaret
Single dad Jono is seeing someone new: last month, he debuted his relationship with fashion designer Nilofar Khirzad in a string of loved-up social media posts (pictured together)
As she embarks on a new chapter as a single mother, Simone has chosen to keep a relatively low profile compared to her former life as a party-going model.
She still dips her toes into modelling and influencing, but now seems to be focused on the ‘mum-fluencer’ space, most recently fronting a breastfeeding-themed campaign for the lingerie brand Nala in September.
The campaign, titled Sorry to Offend You, featured shots of Simone breastfeeding Gia in public and was designed to challenge the stigma around breastfeeding and celebrate the beauty of motherhood.
Meanwhile, Jono remains busy running his Acero gym in Kensington and training his usual rotation of celebrity clients. He is also seeing someone new: last month, he debuted his relationship with fashion designer Nilofar Khirzad in a string of loved-up social media posts.
Before going ‘Instagram official’, Jono had been spotted liking Nilofar’s posts and leaving flirty comments on her photos, which raised eyebrows among Simone’s loyal fans.
Simone hasn’t commented on her ex-boyfriend’s new romance.
However, photos of the pair on a co-parenting meet-up earlier this month – after news of his latest squeeze came to light – suggest the two may not be getting along swimmingly.
