06 Feb ‘Candyman’ Travers Beynon Explains How Life Took Away ‘The Only Thing That Mattered’

Rebecca Shepherd in ENTERTAINMENT

It wouldn’t be the unlikeliest of conclusions if you thought that a guy like Travers ‘Candyman‘ Beynon had always aspired to to lead the partying, polygamous lifestyle he leads. For some it’s the stuff of dreams.

But the family man revealed to LADbible that it wasn’t the path he’d always planned to take, believe it or not. In fact, as a teen he dreamt of a career as a footballer – until he broke his back and ‘life took away the only thing that mattered’.

Did that take you by surprise? Turns out there’s a lot about the guy behind the Candyman persona that you probably didn’t know.

He has four children – two of which he won sole custody over – and he was previously married for a decade, to the former ‘Miss World’ (obviously).

He certainly rubs plenty of people up the wrong way, which isn’t completely unbelievable considering what he does. He also has some controversial views, including his belief that bringing up his children in a polyamorous setting is ‘no different’ than a gay couple bringing up kids.

Credit: Instagram/traversbeynonofficial

He explained: “They [his children] are like ‘yep, that’s our dad – he’s always been like that, he’s always been different’. What if I was in a same-sex marriage and they had to come home to two dads, or two mums?

“How do they cope with that? I can assure you that adults have been taught to be accepting of the world and the diversity but that’s not the way it is in the school ground.

“The kids’ friends at school think it’s pretty cool that their dad has more than one girl. But explaining to one of your mates that a kid at the school has two dads or two mums – that can cause a lot of heat and a lot of hate at school still.

Travers, Taesha and eldest children, Lucciana and Valentino. Credit: Supplied

“The world has changed, people are hating on me – but if they’re hating on me, are they saying they’re against same sex marriage? Because I’m no different.

“I’m diverse, I’m different. I live a different lifestyle and I don’t think it can be any more different than two males or two females bringing up a child.”

And if you’re in disagreement with him and wanted to throw a bit of hate his way, don’t bother – he’s just not arsed. In fact, he actually ‘loves’ it.

He told LADbible: “I don’t get so much hate on the street but most of the haters, like anything in life, is online, the trolls. I think that’s an epidemic and it’s not a good thing.

Ignoring the haters. Credit: Instagram/traversbeynonofficial

“Hate has never bothered me, it only inspires me. I think times have changed from the beginning when I was first in the news, I think they’ve seen me stick around and think, ‘This guy is actually authentic.’

“All the haters go, ‘Oh, he’s a party animal,’ and they’ve stuck around and gone, ‘He has a business, he’s working his way up, and he’s a good father with good kids, so maybe he’s ok.’

“I love hate. During the Australian ball tampering [cricket scandal], I did a post with three naked girls with yellow tape all over their parts. Australians are a bit like the English; we like taking the piss out of each other and having a bit of a laugh.

“At the end of the day I’m a father and a businessman and I do that well – and I throw the biggest and best house parties around the world. I can do both, it takes a lot of energy.”

Credit: Supplied

But how did he get to where he is today? Travers told us that it ‘evolved over the many experiences’ he’s been through.

He continued: “It started very far from what my lifestyle is today. I started just as a young boy, I was obsessed about playing football to a point where my parents used to strap a football with a bandage to my hand every night when since about nine or ten years of age.

“I didn’t have much interest in school. All I wanted to do was play football and I won a few awards for Australia when I was a teenager – I was picked up by North Melbourne, a football league team, at the age of 16 or so.

“And then unfortunately I broke my back aged 17 or 18 so I couldn’t take football anymore. Life took away the only thing that mattered to me when I was a teenager, so I had to cope with that. And at that time a modelling agency scouted me and then I shot off to Miami in Florida.

Travers during his modelling days. Credit: Supplied

“And then from there I travelled all over the world for the next 10 years or so, modelling. Then I met my first wife in Miami – the former Miss World – and we decided to settle back on the Gold Coast and had two children, so I was married for ten years with my first wife.

“After that I really started to brand the parties the ‘Candy Shop Mansion’ and they really evolved from there and the ‘Candyman’ came through that. It’s often said I call it myself but that’s not really the case. People just assumed the owner of the Candy Shop Mansion must be the Candyman.”

Travers met his second wife, Taesha, when she worked as a hostess at one of his shindigs. The pair now have two other children and Travers is proud of his four kids.

He told LADbible: “I won sole custody of the two eldest children about eight or nine years ago. I get a lot of the public just jealous, a lot of hate and they [public] want to attack me because I live a wild lifestyle, [so] I must be a bad father.

Credit: Instagram/traversbeynonofficial

“In fact that’s quite the opposite because I was awarded by the court sole custody of my eldest two children – the proof is in the pudding.

“Just two years ago my son was captain of year 12 and won all of the academic awards and he’s a great leader. That comes back to one thing that I was taught – manners.

“I think that’s been lost these days, but my parents were so strict on manners and that followed through to me. I think that’s the core of any good upbringing.

“I certainly didn’t set out to lead this lifestyle. I grew up with two very conservative parents and I was married for ten years.”

Credit: Instagram/traversbeynonofficial

He also gifted LADbible with some dating advice – particularly beneficial for anyone struggling. We would argue it could be pretty solid guidance as well.

Travers told us: “Be yourself.”

Well, he didn’t say just that, there was some other stuff as well.

“If you’re talking from a male’s point of view and how to attract women,” he continued, “it’s to be authentic. When you’re authentic you project the most important part which is that you don’t give a fuck. Learn not to give a fuck and live your life the way you want to live your life.

Credit: Instagram/candyshopmansion

“Don’t try and work on a girl; work on yourself, it’s all about how you project yourself. Females are a smarter race, they’re gonna watch more closely and have more perspective. A man has to concentrate on himself.

“Be authentic and really be strong in that sense and that will project. If he doesn’t give a fuck about what people think it will become attractive to a woman, that’s the most important step. And clearly I don’t give a fuck about too much.”

Finally, we wondered whether there would ever come a day when he decided to throw the towel in on his partying lifestyle – although you might be wondering, ‘why the fuck would he do that?’

Credit: Instagram/traversbeynonofficial

Well he said: “I don’t know but if you look at the history with my life you could probably say that my life – and I think everyone should look at their lives the same – [is] like chapters in a book.

“For mine, football was a chapter, then to a modelling chapter, then to property, then to business. I would say that I can’t see what will happen next in that sense, but the chapters have been very different and I’m sure one day I will wake up and think of something creative to do. Anything could happen next.”

And a parting note from Travers: “I’ve had some really tough moments in my life. I think life is like that for people who have worked hard and gone through really bad experiences, but if they stick it out and don’t give up they are rewarded.”

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Featured Image Credit: Supplied