What has Kyly Clarke ever done to deserve such vile criticism?

She is beautiful, stylish and happily married to a famous man. Someone, quick, take her down.

JUST what the actual hell has the woman done to deserve this? Two full pages of a Sunday newspaper yesterday carried a story slamming cricketer Michael Clarke’s wife Kyly and I still can’t work out why.

The piece – written by a woman! – has unnamed sources insinuating Kyly Clarke is vain, attention seeking, image-obsessed and paranoid about her hubby’s ex.

Her crimes? Expensive handbags, ‘fire engine-red lips’ and a propensity to be photographed by the paparazzi.

“Those critical of Mrs Clarke claim she seems to only have time for the famous and influential and is still obsessed by upstaging Clarke’s former fiancée, Lara Bingle,” the story says. And who is making such an allegation? According to the author, it is “a former member of the travelling party”. Ah, an anonymous source! Makes you wonder who the real bitch is here? Or, if this source exists in anything other than the author’s imagination?

If you were to believe everything written about the Wives And Girlfriends of famous sportsmen, you could be forgiven for believing they are overs from a casting call for the Real Housewives franchises – all fake tans, charged flutes and sharpened talons. Oh, and not a lot of brains.

They are either at war with each other or the Yoko Ono of whatever teams their partners play in. They are expected to look like movie stars on red carpets and yet aren’t allowed a lick of lippy off. They are expected to support their men on tour but should those men lose, are the reason for their failures. The ones who avoid the spotlight are deemed daggy and the ones who embrace it, vain. They simply can’t win.

Another nameless insider in the weekend’s story say Kyly Clarke is considered hard work and obsessed by image, profile and brands. Well, I could say that about quite a few of my friends, who I happen to love, mind you. And I’m sure they could say similar things about me too. Is this a crime? Hardly. It’s called being an individual. Oh, and considering Kyly is actually a professional model, wouldn’t that be in her job profile?

Then there is the fact that while Kyly, who is pregnant with the couple’s first child, is “busy being papped, others are more likely to be back at the hotel room trying to settle a crying baby”. Well, maybe Kyly will be one of those women when she actually has a baby to settle! In the meantime, her sin? Going out with her partner where photographers may be. Let’s just shoot her now shall we?

Oh, and it is inferred not too subtly in the story that Kyly is the one who tips off said paparazzi. Well, as someone who has been in the media business for more than two decades, let me shed some light – photographers know where cricketers stay and track cars. They get tips from limo drivers, hotel staff, friends and restaurateurs. It is a big call to say the captain of the team’s wife is responsible for them turning up at a place where the team may be. Paranoid much?

Scroll through for more of Kyly Clarke. Post continues below. 

Look, I don’t know Kyly Clarke and she could well be Cruella De Ville toting “$6000 worth of handbags” as the first paragraph of the weekend’s story writes (note to author: famous women are often given handbags. You have no idea if these were a gift or not and last time I checked, owning a designer handbag was something women were encouraged to aspire to, not be damned by).

But nasty and sexist stories such as this have no place in the news pages of a so-called reputable paper. And women who pen them should stop and ponder if this is something they would like said about them. Remember the sisterhood?

Let’s be honest here, Kyly’s fault is that she is a good-looking, stylish and confident woman with a famous husband.

Anything else anonymous sources may say is speculation, gossip, sexist and, in this instance, close to defamatory. Oh, and let’s add just plain cruel and unnecessary.

What do you think about the Kyly Clarke criticism? 

For more on Michael and Kyly Clarke, try these… 

Michael and Kyly Clarke shared some baby news this morning.

Michael Clarke: let’s judge his performance based on who he’s sleeping with.

“Thank you Michael Clarke, for showing my son it’s okay to cry.”