Jai Arrow’s wife sues bosses at AI company over suspensionJai Arrow’s wife, Berina Colakovic, has launched legal action over a suspension that came following the birth of the couple’s first child.Ben Talintyre2 min readAugust 6, 2026 - 11:08AMJai Arrow’s wife, Berina Colakovic, has launched legal action against her employer after she was suspended from her job on the same day she was set to return to work from maternity leave.Berina stepped away from AI advertising platform StackAdapt to give birth to her and Jai’s first child, Ayla Rae Arrow, in April last year.However, she was officially suspended on the day of her expected return, May 1, with the company claiming that staff had made complaints about her.As a result, Berina decided to sue StackAdapt, alleging she was discriminated against and denied procedural fairness.The 31-year-old remains employed and continues to be paid while suspended.The workplace dispute is understood to have begun weeks before former NRL star Arrow was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND).Others you may likenewsnewsBerina told The Daily Telegraph the lawsuit isn’t just about money but about principle.“I have seen it before where women are replaced or demoted while on maternity leave,” she told The Daily Telegraph.“It’s wrong, and I don’t want (daughter) Ayla to grow up in a world where this can happen.“It would be easy to avoid the stress of fighting what’s happened to me, especially at this time, but to me it is wrong, and my fight is about discrimination in the workforce.”Jai Arrow and his wife Berina.Colakovic began working for StackAdapt in Canada before transferring to Singapore and then later to Australia in 2019.Documents filed in the Federal Court by her lawyers at Maurice Blackburn allege a superior “threatened” her in September 2024.The documents also claim Berina was informed there would be “performance discussions” unless she could “turn the business around”.It also alleges the company dismissed two employees in circumstances Berina claims to be unlawful. The documents also note she then subsequently raised the matter with the company’s human resources department.The following month, Berina reportedly informed StackAdapt that she was pregnant and later took maternity leave. She was scheduled to return at the start of May. Around a week before her scheduled return, Berina was told an existing investigation would resume, and that her team would no longer report to her.She was then instructed not to begin work at her normal time on her first day back and was instead called into a meeting and suspended.“I had no idea what the complaints were against me,” Colakovic told The Daily Telegraph.“When I was told, they were vague, lacking detail and I believe no basis for suspension.”Berina’s lawyers allege StackAdapt contravened the Fair Work Act and have called for the company to withdraw its allegations, end her suspension and return her to her former position as sales director.Jai Arrow celebrates his birthday with wife Berina Colakovic and their daughter Ayla Rae Arrow. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)In its filed response in court StackAdapt alleges she demonstrated a “pattern of disengagement” in meetings, was unreceptive to feedback and lacked empathy.StackAdapt also alleges some employees felt unheard or misunderstood while working with and under her.The company also denied the allegation that Colakovic was threatened by her superior and claimed she had “expressed her satisfaction” with the outcome of the HR complaint.Berina’s legal battle was briefly put on hold while she and Jai dealt with his MND diagnosis, but it has since resumed.More Coverage‘In denial’: Jai Arrow’s wife’s sad admissionBen TalintyreAFL celebration speaks a thousand wordsKealan HughesArrow said he would stand beside his wife during the case.“Now it is my turn to support Berina in her fight for what she believes is right,” he said.“She has been, and is, amazing.”Join the conversationAdd your comment to this storyTo join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? RegisterJoin the conversation, you are commenting as LogoutMore related storiesNRLSACKED NRL: When the axe falls, there’s always a story to tellRugby league’s most infamous sackings are getting a second hearing. CODE Sports sits down with the game’s biggest names to reveal never-before-heard details behind the explosive headlines.Read moreNRLEels threaten legal action as rumour swirlsThe Parramatta Eels have hit back at rumours circulating about Kiwi international Dylan Walker with the club labelling the speculation “completely false”.Read moreNRL‘Completely false’: Eels threaten legal actionThe Parramatta Eels have put fans on notice with threats of legal action following fake reports about one of their best players.Read more