Jacqueline:
As the state of her relationship with Dan Osbourne is called into question, insiders reveal it’s Jacqueline Jossa who’s in charge
“I just need some breathing space”
It’s been one drama after another for Jacqueline
Jossa, who was last week forced to shoot down claims she’d moved out of her £1 million Essex home amid reports her husband
Dan Osbourne was messaging other women – something her representative denied.
Opening up about her decision to take some time away from the marital home, the actress revealed she was “struggling” after the UK was put into lockdown amid the pandemic.
The former EastEnders actress, 27 – who is dividing her time between the home she shares with Dan and a property her parents own in Kent – reassured fans in a lengthy Instagram post that her move was in no way a reflection on the state of her three-yearmarriage to former TOWIE star Dan, with the couple seemingly keen to put on a united front when they were pictured the following day with their two young daughters, Ella, five, and Mia, 22 months.
STRUGGLING
Taking to social media to give her own account, Jacqueline explained, “I’ve been staying at another house – a house my parents will eventually be moving into. I had really been struggling (haven’t we all!?) lately and, as I said the other day, I’ve just needed some time and breathing space.”
It followed an earlier post where she shot down reports of a split, saying, “I need some time. There is no split. No divorce. We are working together not against each other.” Claims later surfaced that Dan had “begged” her to come home and they’d been “fighting non-stop”, while Jacqueline told fans on Instagram Stories, “I was going to let you guys know that I am back at home. But I am going to be going to and from just because I’m helping my mum and I’ve got some stuff going on.”
MARRIAGE DRAMA
It’s not the first time the couple have been dogged by split rumours. There were reports in 2018 that Jacqueline and Dan had briefly separated, with her “kicking him out” after he was accused of cheating with Love Island’s ’s Gabby Allen – something both Dan and Gabby denied.
However, insiders say that, far from being the victim in this latest marriage drama, the star – who last year said she was keen to show people that she’s “actually really strong” – is the one dictating the rules in her relationship.
A source says, “Jac is no wallflower – she’s not afraid to say or do whatever she wants. She knows herself very well, and when things at home get a bit heated, she knows when to leave to give herself a breather. She’s had a lot of stresses in lockdown – working on promoting her clothing
range, homeschooling, and being apart from her friends and family have all taken their toll. She didn’t want to take out her frustrations on Dan, as she wants home to be as harmonious as possible at this time, so she thought the best thing for everyone was to move out for a short time to get her head straight – like a mini holiday, where she’ll come back revived and ready to take on the next challenge.”
The couple have weathered more than their fair share of scandal, getting together when Dan’s ex-girlfriend
Megan Tomlin was pregnant with his son Teddy, now six.
Last year, it was claimed that Dan snogged Love Island’s Alexandra Cane on a night out – which was also denied. But the couple stood their biggest test last year, when Dan was forced to refute claims he’d enjoyed a threesome with his Celebrity Big Brother co-stars Chloe Ayling and Natalie Nunn, in 2018. Following intense speculation, Dan later said, “I have seriously learned from these [mistakes] massively, so I want to publicly apologise to my beautiful wife and my family for the mistakes I’ve made.”
REINVENTION
When they met at an awards show in 2013, Jacqueline was an up and coming soap star who stayed relatively off-radar, while
Dan was the latest reality hunk to hit the big time on TOWIE.
But after her reinvention last year following her victory on I’m A Celeb! and carving out a career post EastEnders, pals say Jacqueline has a new-found confidence. After leaving the jungle, she went on to secure a lucrative sixfigure deal for her In The Style fashion collection, and has also launched a music, dance and drama academy for children. Meanwhile, Dan’s debt-ridden business, Storms Entertainment, reportedly has just £978 left on the books. And as Closer reported last week, he is now focused on launching his personal training business as well as developing potential joint projects with Jacqueline, including a reality show.
The source adds, “Jac won’t ever be a doormat. She is the one calling the shots in her marriage and wearing the trousers. Dan has his say, but he supports Jac.
“She loves Dan and the kids more than anything – but she’s also willing to make the occasional sacrifice for the sake of keeping their lives on an even keel, even if that means having to ditch everything that’s familiar to her and remove herself from the home to take a breather. She doesn’t think it does him any harm to miss her and to appreciate what he has.”
SHE’S NO WALLFLOWER AND IS NOT AFRAID TO SAY OR DO WHATEVER SHE WANTS