Shaughna Phillips defends decision to take baby to visit her father in prison
Former Love Island star Shaughna Phillips has defended her decision to take her baby daughter to see her father - who is behind bars.
The 29-year-old reality star was a contestant on season six of Love Island back in 2020 - featuring in the winter edition of the show. Following her time on the show, the Londoner went on to date real estate Billy Webb - with their romance sparking up soon after she appeared on the ITV2 reality show.
While Shaughna and Billy kept their relationship largely out of the spotlight, the romance was dragged into headlines in 2023 when Billy was arrested while she was heavily pregnant with their daughter, Lucia. Billy was later jailed after admitting conspiracy to supply 4.5kg of cocaine and was sentenced to nine years in jail last November.
Shaughna has since revealed she is ensuring her daughter can meet her father - declaring that Billy missing out on his daughter’s life is a worse punishment than the time he has been sentenced to spend behind bars. Now she has defended her choice to take Lucia into prison to spend time with her father.
Baby's Lucia's father, Billy Webb, was sentenced to nine years behind bars at the end of 2023 (Instagram/shaughnaphillips)
Shaughna was a contestant on Love Island in 2020 (ITV Studios)Opening up to OK! Magazine, the former Love Island star said: “It’s not a decision I made lightly and I won’t lie, the first time I took her was really scary and daunting. I don’t think it hit me what was happening until I got into the building. I was so nervous but it was never a question for me. I always knew I was going to take Lucia to visit her dad.
Love Island's Haris spills on unaired row between Zara and Tanyel
“Although it’s the last place on earth I’d hope to take a baby, I just felt like I owed it to her. Billy’s obviously missed out on a lot in her life due to his actions but I was never going to stand in the way of him being a dad.”
Shaughna went on to explain that she considers it a blessing that her nine-month-old daughter is too young to comprehend being taken inside the prison. She said: “I know people might not agree, but if she was older I think I would struggle more with my decision. If she was more aware of her surroundings it would be difficult taking her to see him. It’s not nice and you get searched by sniffer dogs. I’m grateful, in a strange way, that this all happened when it did.”
Since becoming a mother, and after her romantic life imploded, Shaughna has declared that her baby girl is the love of her life and says she is shunning dating. She said on her podcast Oh Baby! with co-host Holly Connolly. "I have absolutely zero desire to have a relationship with anyone or invite someone into my life.
“I love just me and my baby, we just crack on with it, and I don't know whether that feeling will ever leave me. Is it because she is just so new and I'm in like a little bubble? I'm not sure. But I just feel like I have a friend for life and also I don't feel like I have any energy to try and maintain or develop something new. I just feel like me and my baby are good over here.”
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
