In terms of breakups, we all remember Carrie and Berger's Post-It moment on Sex and The City, and while he didn't quite slap a sticky note on her laptop, it seems Princess Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, might've chosen an equally impersonal way to end his relationship with ex-wife Karen Spencer.
Per the Daily Mail, court documents revealed that Countess Spencer was informed by the earl that their marriage was over "by text message."
Earl Spencer, who married Karen in 2011 and shares 11-year-old daughter Lady Charlotte Diana with the countess, has also been accused of cheating on his wife with now-girlfriend Dr. Cat Jarman. Jarman, 42, is suing Countess Spencer, 52, for allegedly revealing her medical diagnosis of MS without consent.
According to the media outlet, Countess Spencer "compared notes with Dr. Jarman's husband, Tom Jarman" and per her High Court defense in the privacy suit, "discovered that their affair had been going on since at least November/December 2022 when the two of them were together in Norfolk (although more likely since 2021)."
The now-couple met when Dr. Jarman, who is an archaeologist, visited Spencer's home, Althorp House, for "an archaeological investigation" in 2021.
However, Earl Spencer—who shared a photo from his late sister's memorial at Althorp on Christmas Eve—denied the text message claims. Per the Daily Mail, he said, "The notion that I would end my marriage by text is an absurd attempt to blacken my name. Karen ended the marriage, after endless threats to do so over the years, in early March."
“She asked me to confirm the end of the marriage in a text on 18 March and my reply that day was a simple acceptance of her decision," he continued. "I have those texts still, and will share them in court when I clear my name.”
However, Countess Spencer's court papers claim that Earl Spencer "completely refused" to explain the divorce to his wife—a situation she felt was "both cruel and inexplicable."
An email Countess Spencer sent to Jarman was also included in her High Court defense. "First of all as a woman, I just have to tell you that I am so disappointed in you. Turning all of the children's lives upside down like this is so unbelievably immoral," the countess wrote.
"Good luck Cat, you're in for a hell of a ride," she ended the email. "I think that you'll find having him to deal with full-time will be much trickier than the odd five-day escape to Norfolk and a night or two in London here and there."
