Ferne’s fear:
Ferne Mccann is left devastated after fans viciously turn on her following accusations she lied about not visiting her convict ex, Arthur Collins, in jail
“This is going to haunt me for years”
he was dealt S a huge blow last week when it was claimed Ferne Mccann had been visiting her ex Arthur Collins in prison with their baby daughter, Sunday. The reality star had previously insisted she’d cut all ties with the convict, who is serving a 20-year sentence for a sickening acid attack in a London nightclub, which left 14 people injured.
Ferne, 27, immediately hit back at the claims in a lengthy statement on Twitter, saying, “The story today says that I have been visiting Sunday’s father in prison. As I have already made clear I visited him once and I have not been to see him since. I have repeatedly made clear that I have not been back to see him.”
CLAIMS IN COURT
The sensational revelation was made as Collins appeared in court again last week for using a smuggled mobile phone in his cell – for which he had a further eight months added to his jail term. During proceedings, his barrister revealed that Ferne “occasionally visits him” with Sunday and his sister.
The claim comes two months after Ferne took Sunday to visit Collins in prison, revealing in an interview that she told him “this is the last time you will see either of us.” The same month she declared she was moving forward as a single mum, saying
she “long ago accepted that she would be doing this alone.”
Despite Ferne denying they are back in touch, hundreds of fans blasted the former TOWIE star online, branding her a “liar” and “snake” for seemingly relenting and letting him back into her life. Fans even called for her to be sacked as a TV presenter for ITV, with one commenting, “Caught out there. Hope all her TV and promotion work dries up.”
It followed a drama at the start of the month when Ferne “liked” an Instagram post by one of Collins’ relatives, calling for his early release from prison, which a spokesperson claims she did by accident.
Now friends say the new scandal surrounding her ex has left her distraught.
A source says, “Ferne was horrified when she found out Arthur’s defence team had said she’d been visiting him. She’s already feeling vulnerable and exhausted – like all new mums – and broke down in tears saying she was never going to escape Arthur’s crime.
“She was an emotional wreck during his trial and was barely sleeping, but pulled herself together when Sunday arrived. She’s desperate to rebuild her career, but is convinced all this will haunt her for years.”
TRAUMATIC YEAR
It’s been a roller coaster year for Ferne. She publicly declared Collins was “The One” just days before he carried out the attack last April, sparking a police manhunt when he went on the run. The following month, she broke down in tears on This Morning while discussing her shock pregnancy, and was branded “utterly disrespectful” and accused of “cashing in” on her situation when she enlisted a film crew for her fly-on-the-wall reality show,
Ferne Mccann: First Time Mum.
The source says, “Ferne has an incredible support network. Her mum pops over most days, and her best pal [former co-star] Billie Faiers is always on the phone. Close friend [Geordie Shore star] Vicky Pattison is smitten with Sunday and tells Ferne to ignore the negative comments – they know she’s fed up with having to defend herself.
“Whenever Ferne feels she’s moving forward, she hits a bump in the road. She’s starting to think it was naive that she could just cut Arthur from her life and wonders if she’ll always be answering questions about him. But she knows deep down her friends will see her through this.”