After Years of Heartbreak and Second Chances, James Packer Quietly Says “I Do”—But One Detail About His Secret Wedding Has Everyone Talking
After years of highly publicised relationships, personal struggles and life away from the spotlight, Australian billionaire James Packer has quietly begun a new chapter.
Just months after confirming his engagement, the 58-year-old has reportedly married longtime partner Kylie Lim in an intimate ceremony on the Italian island of Sardinia.
A surprise wedding far from home
James Packer and Kylie Lim are understood to have exchanged vows this week on Sardinia’s picturesque north-east coast, with a spokesperson confirming the marriage to news.com.au.
The private ceremony reportedly took place during Packer’s annual Mediterranean getaway aboard his superyacht IJE, shortly after he attended his niece Francesca Packer’s lavish three-day wedding celebrations in Mallorca, Spain.
Following those festivities, the billionaire’s yacht was spotted cruising the exclusive Costa Smeralda coastline, where the couple are believed to have held their secret wedding.
The ceremony comes only five months after Packer publicly confirmed the couple’s engagement.
At the time, he simply said:
“We are very happy to be engaged and looking forward to the future.”
A love story that found its way back
Packer and New York socialite Kylie Lim first began dating in late 2017 after being introduced by mutual friends in Aspen, Colorado.
Although they separated in 2020, the pair quietly rekindled their relationship last year before becoming engaged in early 2026.
Friends close to the couple have said they were eager not to wait long before marrying and decided to take advantage of Packer’s annual European holiday to celebrate with those closest to them.
The wedding marks Lim’s first marriage and Packer’s third.
The woman James Packer says changed his life
For Packer, the relationship has represented far more than romance.
Over the past several years, he has openly credited Lim with helping him rebuild his life following one of its darkest periods.
After his highly publicised split from Mariah Carey in 2016, Packer spoke candidly about battling depression, bipolar disorder and substance abuse.
He later sought treatment at a mental health facility in Boston.
Reflecting on that period during a rare interview in 2019, Packer admitted he had been in a “bad, bad way.”
He described Lim as someone who transformed his outlook.
“Kylie has been a wonderful influence on my life. I love her very much.”
Similar sentiments also appeared in his biography The Price of Fortune, where Packer described her as “a really good partner” and said:
“I’m lucky she’s in my life.”
Author Damon Kitney later wrote that Lim had become “the one constant presence” as the billionaire gradually rebuilt both his personal life and wellbeing.
A long road to lasting happiness
Packer’s love life has often attracted intense public attention.
He first married model Jodhi Meares in 1999 before the marriage ended two years later.
In 2007, he married singer and model Erica Baxter in France. The couple welcomed three children together before separating in 2013, although they have remained on good terms while co-parenting.
He was also previously engaged to model Kate Fischer.
Perhaps his most widely publicised relationship came in 2016 when he became engaged to global superstar Mariah Carey.
The engagement ended just months later, becoming one of the most closely followed celebrity break-ups of the decade.
A quiet new beginning
Unlike many of the headline-making relationships that came before, Packer and Lim have largely kept their romance away from public attention.
Even their engagement remained private until reports emerged of Lim wearing a diamond ring while in Aspen earlier this year.
Now, with a secret ceremony held thousands of kilometres from Australia, the couple appear to have chosen privacy over publicity for one of the biggest moments of their lives.
For a man whose personal life has often unfolded in front of the world, this latest chapter has begun in the quietest—and perhaps most meaningful—way yet.