Jermaine Jenas has split from his wife Ellie Penfold, six months after he was sacked by the BBC following a sexting scandal.
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The former footballer was dropped by the channel in August amid allegations of workplace misconduct after sending explicit texts to two female employees.
While at the time Jermaine said he and Ellie, who married in 2011, hoped to work through their marital troubles, she took to Instagram on Tuesday to reveal their marriage was over.
In a statement shared on social media, she wrote: ‘I never imagined I would have to share something so personal with the public, but given the situation, I feel it’s necessary.
‘After 16 years together and 4 wonderful children, Jermaine and I have decided to part ways. We will remain friends and continue to co-parent. We kindly ask that you respect our children’s privacy during this challenging time. Thank you, Ellie.’
Since Jermaine’s BBC sacking, Ellie had not shared a snap with him on Instagram, and he was absent from images she posted of her children celebrating Christmas in December.
In November, Jermaine shared a gushing tribute to his wife as she marked the launch of her personal care brand Preppy, despite their marital woes.
He wrote on Instagram: ‘Couldn’t be more proud of this woman, 3 years ago you had a great idea and this week you got to make that idea a reality.
‘Starting a brand is hard enough, but working hard and being committed to getting it done even with all the B******T I’ve dragged you through recently should be enough evidence that you’ll make it a success.’
Ellie was left ‘raging’ and kicked the former Tottenham Hotspur star out of their bedroom at their £1 million family home when it was revealed he had sent explicit messages to two members of staff at the BBC.
Jermaine confessed to lying to Ellie, who describes herself as a ‘wife’ and mother’ in her Instagram bio, during a family holiday to Spain when he sneaked off to talk to his bosses about the messages.
Although Jermaine admitted sending the texts, he insisted they were exchanged between two consenting adults and that he has done nothing illegal.
