The end of his engagement to Kylie Minogue made headlines in both Britain and her native Australia. And now Joshua Sasse has spoken for the first time about the circumstances surrounding their split. On Wednesday, the 29-year-old actor took to Instagram to "silence those muppets out there" while sharing a photo of the 'Say I Do Down Under' campaign logo, which calls for marriage equality in Australia. He had faced heavy criticism for ending his association with the campaign at the same time his romance with Kylie ended. But he told fans the campaign was only ever meant to be short-lived, and proved to be far more successful that he could have ever anticipated.
Joshua Sasse took to Instagram to speak about his association with the 'Say I Do Down Under' campaign
"We doubled our expected goal and raised nearly $15,000 for LGBTIQ charities in Oz – the message was spread around the world and as a result BILLIONS of people who didn't know the inequality was a problem were made aware and donated, became activists & joined the cause WORLDWIDE," he wrote. "We never expected it to do as well as it did & everyone that worked on it were and are so proud of the work we all put in. Once the campaign we started closed we handed back the reigns to the wonderful Equality team in Oz we had partnered with and the fight continues."
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The Galavant star urged his fans: "If you believe in something fight for it - don't listen to the 'haters' - there is enough hate in the world, focus on the love, focus on the positive. Yes I support Female equality - and I support the clean water program and anti-poaching programs in Zambia & in Nepal - and many more besides, so before you jump on a band wagon - think before you speak & put your energy somewhere constructive and with love. #peace."
Kylie Minogue confirmed her split from Joshua in February, one year afer announcing their engagement
STORY: Kylie Minogue confirms engagement after whirlwind romance
Joshua felt compelled to share the post after facing criticism last week for promoting a feminist T-shirt brand, sharing a photo showing his wearing a female equality T-shirt. Social media users were quick to question his association with the cause, with one asking: "What happened to your Gay Marriage Campaign in Australia?", and another stating: "Once Kylie was gone, so was the campaign."
Kylie confirmed the end of her relationship with Joshua in February with a post shared on her Instagram account. Alongside a photo of a beautiful sunrise, the star wrote: "#lovers… Thank you for all your love and support throughout this recent chapter of my life. Thank you now for your love and understanding with the news that Josh and I have decided to go our separate ways. We wish only the best for each other as we venture towards new horizons. #thesunalwaysrises." It came after Joshua confirmed that the couple would not marry until same-sex marriage was made legal in Kylie's home country. In October, he told Network Seven: "There are chances of a Melbourne wedding. [But] we will not get married until this law has passed in Australia."
