Inside James Haskell and Chloe Madeley's marriage including huge name change row
Chloe Madeley and James Haskell have called it quits on their marriage and the past five years hasn't always been easy for the pair.
The daughter of TV presenters Richard Madeley and Judy Finnegan and the rugby star have announced they decided to split in September. It comes after both Chloe and James were spotted out without their wedding rings along with a series of public rows and cryptic posts. The former couple met on Twitter in 2014 and have recently shared insights into their family life on ITVBe show Chloe Madeley: A Family Affair.
They wed in 2018 and welcomed daughter Bodhi into the world in August 2022. However in a statement on Saturday night, Chloe shared: "James and I mutually decided separate at the end of September, 2023. We had not planned on releasing a statement at this time - certainly not while the television show was airing - but constant speculation about our marriage has, unfortunately, forced our hand. Beyond this statement, we will not be speaking about this matter publicly, and we would request privacy at this time. Our sole focus now is our beautiful daughter. We shall continue to co-parent with nothing but love." Here's a look into the five years of marriage between Chloe and James.
Furious name change row
Earlier this year Chloe revealed "traditional" James was left "furious" when she was reluctant to change to surname after tying the knot. Their daughter Bodhi has taken James' surname Haskell, however in July Chloe shared she was yet to go "through all the admin and hoopla" required to legally change her surname.
She spoke to Johnny Seifert on Secure The Insecure Podcast about how her new ITVBe series Chloe Madeley: A Family Affair was set to be called At Home With The Madeley’s. Chloe admitted: "James is mega traditional and he would have been, I mean, like his male ego would have been dented for life if we'd call that."
Chloe Madeley returns to work weeks after giving birth as she 'needs the money'She added: "I never changed my name. And I always said, like, when I have to renew my passport, get new bank cards, I'll do it all then. But I'm not going through all the admin and hoopla before I absolutely have to. And James is like furious about it because like I say, he's really traditional. So if we if we start calling him a Madeley oh my God, there will be hell to pay."
Chloe continued: "But yeah, I think for James, he very much wants to feel like I've taken on his name. Obviously Bodhi is a Haskell. He wants to feel like I've taken on his name and I'm proud of it and I wear it like a badge of honour."
Fertility battle
The couple welcomed their first child into the world in August 2022. At the time they said they were "beaming with pride" thanks to their new arrival, after unexpectedly falling pregnant following a struggle to conceive. They had a two-year struggle to conceive a baby and when she did fall pregnant, Chloe was conscious not to share too much surrounding her pregnancy on social media.
She shared: "I remember when I was trying, for 2 years, and it was hard watching everyone around me get pregnant." Chloe added that she never felt 'envious' about other people's pregnancies, just 'sad'. At one point the pair considered IVF and adoption before falling pregnant with Bodhi.
Speaking to OK! Magazine Chloe explained how they hadn’t been using contraception 'for months', and began to get worried when she still wasn’t pregnant. The personal trainer told the publication: "I was getting to grips with the fact it might have to happen like that for me."
Multiple rows
Chloe and James have been very open about the rows they experienced during their marriage. They had "multiple arguments" ahead of Bodhi's birth as when Chloe was heavily pregnant, James was travelling to the likes of Ibiza and New York thanks to his work as a DJ. Chloe admitted she became "really resentful" as her husband spent most weekends over the summer on the Balearic island.
"Between the beginning of June and up to now, we’ve slowly but surely been trying to figure out a rhythm and we’ve finally got there. I’ve reached a place where I’m really proud of him. We got there, but it was a real process," she told OK! magazine. Chloe also decided to seek help from a part-time nanny.
She revealed the extra pair of hands meant James could be a "good dad and also a good husband". While she also opened up to Bella magazine, as Chloe said: "We're starting to spend more time together and enjoy it as opposed to getting into a competition about who's more tired and say 'Who's done the bottles?'"
Separate banks
The former couple didn't share a bank account during their marriage. Chloe returned to work just eight weeks after giving birth because she "needed the money." Chloe explained to OK!: "James obviously makes a great income and he's my partner and that's fantastic, but we don't have a joint account. We've always had separate accounts and I think that's a bit of a pride thing with me. Next time, if I get pregnant again, I'm absolutely not doing it. I will swallow my pride, I will jump in on James' account and take at least six months."
Split
In recent weeks the couple sparked split rumours after being spotted without their wedding rings. It came after Chloe detailed their "biggest row ever" on her ITVBe show as James posted pics with bikini-clad women from his DJ trip to Ibiza while she was left at home. James was also spotted chatting with a mystery blonde outside an exclusive club earlier this month.
Chloe Madeley says Zara Tindall is 'brilliant' with her baby and changes nappiesChloe's dad Richard was reportedly 'not happy at all' over their recent marriage woes and was said to be "having words" with James. It all came to a head on Saturday night when both Chloe and James shared they split last month, calling time on their five year marriage.