Inside the divorce that rocked Brighton’s Golden Mile: Zana Pali reveals the wedding anniversary moment she realised ‘I can’t do this anymore’ – and what she really thinks about Gianni’s new younger partner

They were the golden couple of Brighton’s Golden Mile – until news broke of their split in July last year.

Now, property developer Zana Pali is speaking out about her sudden divorce from lawyer Gianni Romano, telling The Debrief with Savanna Young that she was the one who decided to end things.

When asked who called off their 10-year marriage, Zana admitted bluntly: ‘I did. I left… I think, for a woman, you check out many, many years earlier.

‘It takes us a long time, especially with children, young kids. You know, you always stay for the family. Stay for the children.’ 

Zana, 35, and Gianni, 37, co-parent two sons, Leonardo, seven, and Romeo, six, but their love for their boys wasn’t enough to keep them together.

‘But it got to a point where I was like, I’m actually… depressed,’ she continued. 

‘There were days where I couldn’t get out of bed. I was like, “What am I doing? I’m not happy. I’m living with a roommate.” That’s how I felt. 

‘I got married so young. I was 21 when I got engaged and 23 when we married and had kids not long after that. So my 20s were given to marriage. 

‘You’re a very different person as a woman in your 20s to your 30s and then post being a mother as well. So I think we just really grew apart.’

‘I got to a point where I’m like, “I’m not in love with this person, so I can’t do this anymore.”‘ 

In an extraordinary revelation, Zana said that she decided to pull the plug on her marriage during their 10-year anniversary.  

‘Ten-year wedding anniversary was my light-bulb moment where I was like, “I can’t do this,”‘ she confessed.

‘Because it was 10 years and I’m like, “What am I doing? Ten years of marriage and I’m not happy.” 

‘And I’m like, “I just can’t do it anymore. I’m not in love with you anymore.” So that was it… Not long after that, I moved out.’

Zana says Gianni was blindsided by the separation. In her words, he was ‘oblivious’ to the fact she had ‘checked out’ of the relationship.

‘Men are very oblivious… They don’t realise when a woman has checked out. You know, when we stop fighting for the relationship, when we stop even talking,’ she said.

‘They think it’s like, “Oh, she’s a robot. She cooks, she cleans. She’s quiet. Great. Less headaches.” It’s very different for a man. 

‘They don’t realise when we’re quiet [that means] there are problems.’

The mother of two revealed that Gianni did attempt to salvage the relationship, but admitted she was already ‘done’ and there was no going back.  

‘When I’m done, I’m done. I can’t go back [after] I made that decision in my mind. I feel like, for women, we get to a point where we’ve tried everything,’ she said.

‘I was so miserable. I felt nothing for him anymore. I mean, he’s a great person. He’s a great dad. 

‘He’s going to make another [woman] very happy. He’s a nice guy, but there was just nothing between us anymore, so I couldn’t do it.’

Gianni has well and truly moved on since his marriage ended, and was linked last year to a socialite named Gracie Stewart, who is believed to be in her mid-20s.

The two were first spotted together at the star-studded JW Foundation Starry Night gala in September, which Zana also attended.

‘Gianni’s clearly smitten,’ a friend was quoted as saying at the time. ‘He loves the attention and Gracie doesn’t mind being spoiled.’

The source added that Gianni and Gracie had been friends for a while before things turned romantic.

Their age-gap romance was said to have turned heads around Brighton.

While it’s unclear if Gianni and Gracie are still an item, the pair still follow each other online, and Zana confirmed to The Debrief that her ex-husband has a new partner.

‘Yeah, he’s re-partnered… I’m really happy for him,’ Zana said. ‘And she’ll help him as well. You know, for the support. Because it’s not easy.

‘Going through a divorce is probably the worst time of your life. So, yeah, when I heard he moved on, I was like, “That’s great.” I was like, “Good. Nice.”‘

Zana confirmed she is still single, adding that she is looking for someone who is ‘a good influence and a good person’ to be around her sons. 

While news of Zana and Gianni’s split made headlines in the middle of last year, they had ended their marriage months earlier, quietly setting tongues wagging in Brighton.

By the time the Mail broke the news of their break-up, the former couple were living separate lives: Zana, then in her influencer era, was enjoying a European summer with her children, while Gianni continued working in Melbourne.

The Daily Mail caught up with Gianni, a partner at the law firm Best Hooper, last July and noticed that the father of two wasn’t wearing his wedding ring.

He did not deny splitting from Zana at the time, and when pressed for further details of what happened, simply said: ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’

Their marital home on Brighton’s ‘Golden Mile’ – complete with a basement nightclub and lift access – sold after they separated for about $10million.

The property sits on a stretch of millionaires’ row that is a magnet for ritzy Melbourne socialites, with famous locals including Bec and Chris Judd.

Gianni and Zana made a name for themselves among the neighbourhood’s glamorous elites when they moved in with their sons Leo and Romeo.

The former couple wed in November 2014 on Hayman Island and went on to welcome sons Leo and Romeo in 2018 and 2020, respectively.