Packed to the Rafters star Erik Thomson finds love again with single mum in Tasmania following split from wife of 25 years
The Packed to the Rafters star, 58, is now believed to be dating Courtney Simpson, a single mother based in Hobart, Tasmania, according to New Idea.
While the pair have not made any official statement, their romance appears to be Instagram-official, with the couple sharing several affectionate posts over the past few months.
In February, Courtney posted a sweet Valentines Day photo of the two together, writing: "Happy Valentine's Day my (love)," which the actor reshared to his Instagram Stories.
More recently, she paid tribute to Thomson on his birthday on April 27, calling him her "love" and writing: "There's a version of him the world knows, and a version I get to keep- the one made of tenderness, complexity, and quiet strength.
"He feels everything deeply, carries more than he ever lets on, and gives more than he ever asks for. Loving him is easy and fierce and real. I'm grateful for him, for all of it, every day."
Just last Friday, Simpson shared a black-and-white snap of Thomson lounging with her dachshund, Hemingway.
"Love is these two," she captioned the post.
News of Thomson's relationship comes just months after it was revealed he and McDougall had quietly separated after nearly 25 years of marriage.
Neither has commented publicly on the split.
According to the Herald Sun, Thomson relocated to Tasmania last year, while McDougall remains in their former family home in Port Willunga, about 40km south of Adelaide, where she works as an artist from her coastal studio.
The former couple first met in a pub while watching Adelaide's AFL Grand Final victory in 1997 and tied the knot two years later at Penny's Hill, a winery in McLaren Vale founded by McDougall's stepfather, Tony Parkinson.
They share two children: daughter Eilish, 15, and son Magnus, 12.
Last month, the Scottish-born Australian bravely opened up about his long-term battle with addiction during a candid interview on Rae Bonney's podcast, where he discussed the emotional challenges that came with his profession.
"I really hung my identity on my profession, and as long as things were going well in my profession, things were going well for me," he said.
"But if things slowed down, I started slowing down, and I started feeling like, 'Oh hang on, there's something wrong with me'."
The actor admitted that how one navigates that downtime can "make all the difference."
"I've done both (healthy and unhealthy coping), "he said.
When asked about the "unhealthy" coping mechanisms, Thomson revealed he had struggled with sobriety on and off since 2011.
"I've had long, long periods of sobriety, and I've had times where I've fallen off the wagon, and I've needed to find some solace or whatever in a drug, in something that I needed to just fill that hole," he said.
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