Kerry’s devastation over the death of her ex-husband
Kerry Katona mourns death of third husband George Kay
The nation was shocked to hear the news last week that Kerry Katona’s exhusband George Kay had died following a suspected cocaine overdose. And while, at the time of writing, Kerry, 38, was yet to comment publicly on the tragic news, an insider close to the TV star and singer tells heat, “Kerry is a total mess – her friends are seriously worried that she could spiral into a deep depression.”
George, who died aged 39, first met Kerry when they were just 14, and the pair have even joked about how George proposed to her when they were 17. After losing touch, they bumped into each other in their hometown of Warrington and began dating in 2012. The couple had a daughter together, Dylan-jorge, who is now five, and got married in September 2014 – but their tempestuous relationship was put under pressure by Kerry declaring herself bankrupt for a second time in 2013. They’d only been married for 13 months when George was arrested for assaulting mum-offive
Kerry in their home. George – who had previously served three years in prison for blackmail – was also charged with unlawful possession of a stun gun at the time.
In an interview just a few months before the assault and subsequent split, George described their marriage as “tough”. He admitted in 2015, “We’ve been rowing a lot. Marriage isn’t what I thought it would be, if I’m honest. I thought it would be all sunshine and happiness, but it’s really hard work. We’re raising a large family and dealing with bankruptcy. We argue a lot over money issues. We have to live within a strict budget and that’s tough. We’re both fiery characters, too, so that doesn’t help things. There have been times I’ve thought we might not last. In my darkest moments, I’ve wondered if we should be together. But I love Kerry so much and I’m determined to make it work.”
By the time his assault trial came around the following July, Kerry refused to give evidence against George and the charges were dropped. Kerry even reconciled with him, saying at the time, “I know people will say I’m
a mug, but is giving my marriage another go a crime?” They eventually divorced in 2017, with Kerry stating that George had been emotionally and physically abusive in their relationship.
Last year, she spoke about how much happier she was without George. “He held me back, put me down, and the financial strain of having him here was huge,” she said. “I wouldn’t take George back in a million years. Lilly would walk out if I did, and I’m not even attracted to him any more.”
Our source tells us, while George and Kerry never made up, his death has been “soul-crushing” for her. Not least because she also had to deal with accusations that she added to George’s issues. After hearing of George’s death, Matt O’connor – founder of the Fathers4justice organisation – tweeted, “Tragic news about the passing of George Kay, who came to Fathers4justice for help. He was heartbroken after [Kerry Katona] denied him access to daughter Dylan-jorge. Katona’s not ‘heartbroken’. She has blood on her hands.”
Kerry’s daughters (by her first husband Brian Mcfadden) quickly came to her defence. Molly, 17, wrote, “How dare you make statements this disgusting at such a vulnerable time, your accusations are inaccurate and extremely insensitive. I truly hope you never find yourself in this kind of situation. Vile words from a vile person you should be ashamed.”
Lilly, 16, backed up her sister, calling the tweets, “repulsive and insensitive”. She added, “You did not know George like we did and to have the audacity to speak of my mother who put her neck on the line for that man on countless occasions when no decent human would is vile. We’re in mourning and people like you are poisonous.”
Following the hurtful comments, our source tells us Kerry is struggling to deal with everything. “Obviously she has been doing her best to console Dylan-jorge, but she’s leaving the rest of the family responsibilities to Molly to sort out, because she’s said she can’t cope with it,” we’re told. “She felt physically sick when she saw what people were saying about her having ‘blood on her hands’. Kerry knows that deep down it’s got nothing to do with her, but she still blames herself for not checking in on George. She knew that he was back living with his parents and not making much money, but she had hoped that he was using that time to sort himself out and get himself back on his feet. She knew what he could be like and he caused her hell, but she is still devastated.”
‘It’s at times like these when she’s most vulnerable’
Kerry – who also has children Heidi, 12, and Max, 11, with second husband Mark Croft – has suffered through multiple hardships, including stints in rehab for depression, alcohol and drugs, as well as having had a difficult childhood.
“Kerry has been through so much with all her drug problems, right from when she was a kid and her mum, Sue, would give her speed,” says the insider. “But she’s battled all of that and come through it.”
In recent months, fans had been delighted to see that Kerry seemed to have her life back on track. She was a hit on Celebs Go Dating, with fans calling her
“brilliant” and “hilarious” on the show, and now we’re told her friends fear this crushing news could put Kerry back in a dark place. We’re told, “She managed to get herself out of the house to go to visit George’s family to see if she can offer them any comfort, but she’s been all over the place. Her family and friends are just praying that she doesn’t return to her old vices to get through this trauma, but the truth is, it’s times like these when she’s at her most vulnerable. “Kerry always thought she was a fighter and a survivor, but this has knocked her for six. People are genuinely worried that it’s going to take a long time for her to get herself together.” n