Rugby league star Michael Lichaa breaks four-year silence over fiancée’s sex act with teammate
In his first interview since the 2021 scandal, Lichaa says he forgives Adam Elliott and has moved on, insisting he bears no hate for his former teammate.
Michael Lichaa has broken his four-year silence about the 2021 scandal, telling news.com.au that he harbors no hate for his former Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs teammate Adam Elliott and has forgiven him.
The comments come as Lichaa recalls the events that shook the NRL: in 2021, he discovered his then fiancée, Kara Childerhouse, performing a sex act on Elliott after a boozy night out that ended at Lichaa’s southern Sydney home. The confrontation led to police involvement and became one of the league’s most talked-about off-field incidents. Lichaa’s account underscores the personal toll the episode took on his relationship and his efforts to protect his two young children during the aftermath.
In the immediate aftermath, Lichaa was arrested the morning after the confrontation. He spent roughly a year in court fighting police charges, including common assault, destroying or damaging property, and stalking/intimidation to cause fear of physical harm. He was ultimately cleared of all charges, and no one else was charged in connection with the incident. Despite the severity of the episode, Lichaa said he has accepted an apology from Elliott and stressed that forgiveness was possible for him too: “I don’t have any hate for Adam.”
The scandal reverberated through the league for years. Elliott, who later joined the Newcastle Knights, issued a public apology at the time and continued his playing career, while Lichaa’s life and rugby league tenure were marked by the legal process and personal upheaval. In his latest interview, Lichaa described how he had coped by effectively blanking out the memory and moving forward with his life, a process he said included prioritizing his family and personal wellbeing.
Elliott remains a fixture in the Knights lineup, and the 2024 season included public moments that kept the episode in the public eye. A photo from a Knights-Raiders Round 1 outing in March 2024 captured Elliott in the club environment amid ongoing discussions about the incident’s lasting impact on both players’ careers. The episode also remains a focal point in conversations about accountability and personal conduct within the sport.
As the sport looks to the future, Lichaa’s decision to speak publicly marks a notable moment in rugby league’s treatment of personal trauma and reconciliation. The parties involved have largely moved on, with Elliott continuing his professional career and Lichaa focusing on his own path away from the courtroom spotlight. The four-year silence has ended, and the wider NRL community has been reminded once again of how off-field events reverberate through the on-field game and family life.
