Footy superstar Reece Walsh and his ex Freda Puru have reunited to celebrate their daughter Leila’s graduation from kindergarten.
The Brisbane Broncos premiership-winner and his former girlfriend have only made rare appearances together in public since the end of their five-year relationship became public in early 2023.
They came together for Leila last Friday, proudly posing for photos with their girl and her extended family as she marked a milestone in her life.
Walsh posted photos of the happy occasion on Instagram along with the caption ‘proud of my girl’, drawing messages of support and congratulations from footy star Josh Addo-Carr, among many others.
Puru also posted photos of the graduation, writing, ‘My bestfriend! Your first of many milestones. They say it takes a village and baby your village LOVES YOU.’
The couple’s images show them hugging Leila as she stands in front of a banner reading ‘class of 2025’.
The four-year-old is seen wearing a flower crown, lei and necklace made of colourful ribbons, $5 notes and lollies, in a nod to her Pacific Islander heritage.
Several commenters praised Walsh and Puru for doing a great job of raising their daughter despite their split.
‘You are both the best parents ever,’ one wrote.
‘I love this so much! All the support of her whole family,’ another added.
‘You and Fredz are amazing parents and always put her first,’ commented a third.
‘This girl will go so far when she has both parents supporting her together!’ wrote a fourth.
Puru and Walsh had Leila when he was just 18 years old.
The three of them were reunited on the field after he played the game of his life to lead Brisbane to victory in the NRL grand final this October.
The Daily Mail exclusively broke the news of their split in May 2023, revealing Walsh had unfollowed Puru and wiped all photos of her from his account.
It’s possible they had split up to a year before our story, with Puru becoming noticeably absent from Walsh’s family events and posts following their daughter’s first birthday.
She still doesn’t feature on his Instagram, but she and Walsh were all smiles after he triumphed in the biggest match of his life.
Shortly before kickoff in the grand final, Walsh’s father Rodney opened up about how his son broke the news that he and Puru were expecting a baby when he was just 18 years old.
Rodney – who also detailed how the NRL superstar rose above the trauma of his mum’s drug addiction – recalled how nervous Reece was when he made the big reveal.
‘He was a bit worried to tell us he was having a kid,’ Rodney told News Corp.
‘The way I reacted, I was calm.
‘He said, “Far out, Dad, I thought you would be way worse than that.”
‘But I had kids when I was young, too, there’s not a lot you can do about it.
‘But once it’s done, it’s done, you just move on and give her the best life we can.’
Reece Walsh is well-known for doting on Leila, who is a regular at his games and Broncos training sessions.
He brought her up on stage with him when he collected his premiership ring after the 26-22 win over the Broncos on Sunday night, then placed his diamond-encrusted memento on Leila’s index finger as the pair sat down in a pile of confetti and soaked up the atmosphere.
