Data shows a continued drop in school attendance, missing Auckland woman can't drive adds to investigation concerns, State Highway 1 in Northland may be closed for months and a run of settled weather is set for most of the country.
Video / Corey Fleming / Gettyimages
Celebrity Treasure Island star Megan and husband, former All Blacks star Pita Alatini have called it quits for good. The TrueBliss songstress tells Spy they have both navigated through separation for three years.
Just before Christmas 2020 — two decades after the pair married at the height oftheir fame — Megan and Pita, both 47, quietly separated.
Last Christmas the pair celebrated being back together in a magazine spread with their three children Tonica, 28, Tiara, 20, and Trey, 18. The pair were dealing with empty nest syndrome and wanted to share their reunion story.
Pita had been an inspiration on Three’s Match Fitalongside other All Blacks’ greats, andhad learned to rewire his problem drinking through exercise and talking with his fellow contestants. Megan was gearing up for her stint on this year’s Celebrity Treasure Island, which was filmed at the end of last summer.
She says that several months ago the pair realised they had grown apart and instead had grown to become best friends. “Over a number of years and to be true and authentic to our hearts and live a fulfilled life, we agreed to separate permanently.” Megan tells Spy. “It’s probably the most respectful and kind separation and we have no animosity towards each other — still great love and respect.”
Around the time of their first split, Pita was a Systems Innovator at The Cause Collective NZ while Megan was working in the city as a performance coach for the airline. Photo / Supplied
Megan says they both treasure their family unit and are proud of the life they made with each other, their children and their communities.
When the family moved back from Pita’s eight years of playing professional rugby in Japan, it was to put their children first. Back in Auckland with an uncertain financial situation, Megan carved a new career with Air New Zealand.
Around the time of their first split, Pita was thriving at his job as Systems Innovator at The Cause Collective NZ, based in South Auckland, while Megan was living a separate life working in the city as a performance coach for the airline.
Megan tells Spy they have kept their permanent split under the radar for a while as they figured out what on earth they were doing, while Pita says the pair are each other biggest champions, they are proud of the family they have created and family still comes first.
“We still attend family gatherings and events together and when a project requires us both — we are both there to work on it,” Megan reveals.
She says their children have been amazing, supportive and very enlightened.
“They just want mum and dad to be happy and live our best life. Sometimes they have more wisdom than us,” she says.
“I know I want to live authentically, beautifully and I am looking forward to the next phase. Pita agrees and says they are both still relatively young. “I am loving still working with Cause Collective, and working with the community,” he says. “The main thing in life is to enjoy what you are doing.”
Over the last few months Megan has taken some time off work to travel, including some Eat Pray Love time in Bali and this week she was hopping on a cruise in the Pacific.
She is taking time out to focus and reset and says she has lined up some great work projects for next year for the 25th TrueBliss reunion.
