Danielle: “The end of my marriage still affects me now”
Danielle Lloyd never imagined she’d find love again after filing for divorce from footballer Jamie O’Hara in 2014. But in 2018, the star celebrated her marriage to electrician Michael O’Neill in Dubai, following the birth of their son Ronnie, now three. For Danielle – also mum to boys Archie, ten, Harry, nine, and George, seven, with ex Jamie – it was “perfect”.
But while the former Miss Great Britain has finally found happiness in her love life, she continues to struggle with her mental health. Last year, she told Closer she’d suffered a breakdown as a result of lockdown and was taking medication. While Danielle reveals she is feeling much better, saying that asking for help was the best thing she could have done, she admits that the impact of her divorce continues to haunt her today.
“It’s not easy,” she says.
“It’s definitely affected my confidence and it still affects me now. It was the worst time of my life. I felt humiliated.”
PAIN
Unlike Louise Redknapp, Danielle says she never experienced suicidal thoughts. But she was given antidepressants and sleeping pills to cope, and turned to booze and partying to mask the pain of her divorce. She says, “I was going out and drinking more. You try to do anything to make yourself happy.”
Danielle and Jamie’s split took a nasty turn in 2017 when she accused him of domestic violence – something he vehemently denies.
Looking back, Danielle says her biggest fear was the effect the divorce would have on the kids – and that she’d be alone forever. She says, “Obviously, the impact on the kids is
massive. I was a single mum. You think, ‘Who is going to want to go out with someone like me? Who is going to want to take on three kids who aren’t theirs?’ That was hard.”
Meanwhile, Jamie went on to date model Elizabeth-Jayne Tierney and the pair announced their engagement in October 2017 – only to split briefly in 2019 then later reconcile.
Last year, Louise revealed she still hadn’t been on a date and described herself as “very single”, while her ex Jamie has been dating Swedish model Frida Andersson-Lourie since August last year.
Danielle says, “It’s important to not rush into things. Seeing Jamie moving on is probably hard for her as well, especially if she’s regretting their divorce.”
Danielle says she was only able to move on properly after learning how to love herself again.
She explains, “It’s taken a lot. I still speak to people now to work on healing my inner thoughts and my subconscious.
“It’s definitely helped me with being able to love myself. I feel like I respect myself for the choice I made to walk away – but it wasn’t an easy decision.”
She adds, “It does take a long time.
It’s important not to rush into things. When I first met Michael, I wasn’t ready for a new relationship. But we met again three months later and that was it – the rest is history.”
LETTING GO
Danielle advises Louise to lean on others in this difficult time and is confident she will find love again. She says, “It’s about accepting that it’s over. Once that happens, she will be able to move on. I don’t dwell on it [my divorce]. It’s gone. I’m happy now and I think that’s the important thing.
“If you dwell on things and go back over things, it’s unhealthy for your mind. I sorted it out at the time and got help. Now I’ve left that chapter behind.”
● For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116123, or visit a local Samaritans branch. See Samaritans.org for details