Madeleine West compared divorce to crossing the Sahara desert while speaking out about her messy separation with Shannon Bennett.

The 41-year old shared her struggles as a single mother of six in 2018 after she left celebrity chef, David Chang, for a relationship that lasted 13 years.

She wrote that divorce is like crossing the desert. The terrain is inhospitable and difficult to navigate makes it easy to lose your way and feel very alone.
“But, I realize now that, once you reach the other… Although I cannot promise you an oasis, you will be able to better understand yourself, your strengths and your limitations, as well as your vulnerability.
“While you are going through hardship, it is important to honor the relationship that was, your life, and the family that you have created. This will show respect for both the love that started it all and for you.

Madeleine wasn’t married to Shannon but she confirmed in the post that she had gone through a difficult “separation” and had also walked across deserts like the Sahara Desert.

“Let me assure you, when it comes down to divorcing you don’t usually end up with sand in you underwear. Makes for quite a nasty rash,’ she quipped.


Then, she encouraged anyone who was in the midst of saying “I don’t” to live happily ever after to consult an online toolkit by Nikki Parkinson, a former divorce lawyer.

Madeleine wrote, “She’s been through all the trenches, and she knows the law inside out, and she’s become one of my closest friends, and confidantes,”

“She will always be there for you when no one else can. Love love love…. It’s there for all of you. This too will pass x.

After 13 years of being together, Madeleine split with Shannon in September 2018.

Six children were born to the former couple: Phoenix, Hendrix and Margaux.

Madeleine stated that she would not get back together with Shannon a year later.

“I believe that every season in life is a season. We all change. She said that we evolve.

“At some point, we say, “Well, I have certain requirements I want to meet and you have certain needs. If the two don’t cross, why fight it?

“It’s not fair for the children to see two different parents.

Madeleine is now happily married to Maximo Bottaro, a Byron Bay environmentalist.

They were first photographed together in April 2020, when they were seen kissing on a quiet beach in the coastal NSW town.

They first met when Madeleine was working for Maximo’s environmental organization ReForest Now.

Stellar magazine previously reported that Madeleine and Shannon had’strive to reconnect as parents and friends’ in 2018.

She stated that they had six children and two high-pressure careers, which put strain on their relationship.

Madeline, discussing her decision to end the relationship earlier in the month, wrote this article for Momia: “I woke up one morning and didn’t recognize myself in the mirror.

“I loved so many things about my life, but somehow I had lost myself in it. It didn’t fit me anymore.

“It tore apart and damaged my world, destroyed the things that I loved most, and made love toxic.”