Delta’s hoorror at Philippoussis SHOCK ARREST
She’s devastated her ex’s father has been accused of child abuse
She’s normally never without a smile, but there was no hiding the pain on Delta Goodrem’s face last week as friends delivered the news that the father of her ex-boyfriend Mark Philippoussis had been arrested over child sexual abuse claims.
As the accusations sent shockwaves across the world, Delta was left reeling in horror as details of the charges against Nikolaos “Nick” Philippoussis slowly started to emerge.
Last week the 68-year-old San Diego-based tennis coach and father of former tennis champ
Mark was arrested at his home. He reportedly offered no resistance as police took ok him away to investigatete claims of child molestation. ation. And while the investigationn is still ongoing, it is believed Nick is facing 14 counts of sex offences against minors, and his two alleged victims are aged under 14 and former tennis students he used to coach.
It’s easy to see why the shock allegations have rocked Delta, who grew very close to the entire Philippoussis family during her high-profile relationship with Mark in 2004. The 32-year-old singer was just 19 when she met and fell madly in love the handsome sports star, and the pair embarked on a nine-month whirlwind romance.
Delta’s camp have always maintained that, even though their relationship was short, she was heartbroken when they split because Mark was her first great love.
It’s little wonder Mark and his family left such a lasting impression on the former Neighbours star. They were by her side in the wake of her Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis and throughout her cancer treatment. Delta even wrote a song, Out Of The Blue, about Mark’s support during her battle.
ThereThther was certainly nothing unusualunusua about seeing Delta sitting s side by side and sharing a laugh with Nick as the pair cheered Mark on from the stands at various tennis championships.
And it was Greek-born Nick who gave a statement to the press when the couple eventually split amid accusations Mark had cheated on Delta with US hotel heiress Paris Hilton.
“He decided to change things,” Nick explained to The Australian at the time. “Mark decided, ‘Let’s go ahead with my tennis and make that the priority.’ ”
Friends say Delta has now been left wondering whether or not she should reach out to her ex, who she knows will have been hit hard by the disturbing reports.
For Mark, who is now married to model Silvana Lovin and has three-year-old son Nicholas, the news that his father has been accused of such horrific crimes, and could be facing 25 years to life in prison, will undoubtedly be taking its toll. And despite reports that Nick – who coached Mark on and off for years – has at times been “controlling and possessive” of his son, the pair have always maintained a very close relationship, living near to one another in San Diego.
Just last month, 40-year-old Mark paid tribute to his dad on US Father’s Day saying, “Happy Father’s Day dad, you were (and still are) always by my side protecting me and guiding me through life, and now watching you do the same with your grandson Nicholas is so beautiful to watch and I remain so grateful and blessed. Also a Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers today.”
Mark was her first great love. She was heartbroken when they split
In the 20 years since Princess Diana died, Princes William and Harry have maintained a silence about the painful loss of their mum. Now they’ve finally opened up about the tragedy that stole her so young.
In the documentary Diana, Our Mother: Her Life And Legacy, which aired on Sunday night, William reveals that it’s very important to him that his children George, four, and Charlotte, two, know their “Granny Diana”.
LITTLE DETAILS
He says he constantly tells the two young royals stories about their granny, and says he and the Duchess of Cambridge, both 35, have many reminders of her.
“We’ve got more photos up round the house now of her and we talk about her a bit and stuff,” Wiiliam, who was just 15 when Diana died, says.
“It’s hard because obviously Catherine didn’t know her, she cannot really provide that level of detail, so I do, regularly.”
As he tucks little George and Charlotte into their beds at night, William says he often takes a moment to remind them that Kate’s mum Carole Middleton isn’t the only grandmother they have to be thankful for.
“There are two grandmothers in their lives, so it’s important they know who she was and that she existed,” he says.
‘SHE WAS A TOTAL KID’
Remembering Diana as a fun-loving and totally devoted parent, William admits he’s sure
his mother would’ve caused havoc if she were around to bond with his own children – especially when it came to bath time! “She’d be a nightmare grandmother, absolute nightmare. She’d love the children to bits, but she’d be an absolute nightmare,” he says with a smile.
“She’d come, probably at bath time, cause an amazing... scene, bubbles everywhere, bath water all over the place, and then leave.”
William’s younger brother Harry, 32, also animatedly revealed in the documentary just how much joy their mother’s love and light-heartedness brought into their lives when she was around.
“Our mother was a total kid, through and through” he says.
“When everybody says to me, ‘So she was fun, give us an example,’ all I can hear is her laugh in my head. That sort of crazy laugh of where there was just pure happiness shown on her face. One of her mottos to me was, ‘Be as naughty as you want, just don’t get caught.’ ”
He also laughed when he claimed she loved to dress them up in identical matching outfits – much to his older brother’s horror.
“I genuinely think she got satisfaction out of dressing myself and William up in the most bizarre outfits” he says. “It was weird shorts and, like, shiny shoes with the old clip-ons. And looking back at the photos, it just makes me laugh. I just think, ‘How could you do that to us?!’ ”
William adds that prankloving Diana – who would smuggle them into movies and show up at their football games with pockets overflowing with sweets – would send him “rude cards” at school.
“Usually she found something very embarrassing, a very funny card, and then wrote very nice stuff inside,” he says.
“But I dared not open it in case the teachers or anyone else in the class had seen it.”
Now, as he does his best to give his own two children the most “normal life” possible, it’s clear William is looking to his mother for guidance when it comes to his parenting.
And just as Diana did with him, he’s determined to foster a close relationship with George and Charlotte, smothering them with just as much love and devotion as his own mother lavished on him and Harry.
“I want to make as much time and effort with Charlotte and George as I can, because I realise these early years, particularly, are crucial for children, having seen what she did for us.”
Harry adds, “There’s not a day that William and I don’t wish that she was... we don’t wish that she was still around.
“As a son I would say this, she was the best mum in the world. She smothered us with love, that’s for sure.”