01 March 2024 , 21:32
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Geri Horner has flown into Bahrain to join husband Christian after alleged flirty messages he sent to another woman left her humiliated.
And a source claimed last night the former Spice Girl has been in crisis talks with her team amid fears the texts, leaked online and shared by thousands of people, will affect both her and her reputation. Geri, 51, had told pals she would not meet Red Bull Formula One boss Horner over the alleged messages after it was understood she found out about them, but his family talked her into it.
And while she was on the plane to the Gulf state, the texts went public. The source said: “Geri has been locked in crisis talks with her team this week about how to manage all of this. Christian had played down the whole affair to her, but she can’t bear the fact it is now all out in the open. She feels like a fool. It has really taken its toll on her and she told pals this week she would not be in Bahrain.
The scandal surrounding Christian is believed to have taken its toll on Geri (Getty Images)READ MORE: Christian Horner latest after texts leak and Red Bull chief accuser hits out
“She was adamant she wouldn’t be there, she would not pretend like everything was OK. But Christian’s mum has been leaning on her heavily to stand by his side, and publicly back him, and her pleas seem to have worked. Her own team had been urging her to keep her distance and seek advice.
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“They are worried about the impact on both her personally and her brand and want her to pause and consider her next move carefully. She feels incredibly torn between the two camps. It’s a horrific situation for her to be in, and it is growing worse by the minute.”
Geri was said to be “distraught and humiliated” after the allegedly inappropriate messages and photos were sent to 149 individuals involved in Formula One, including FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, and the media. Reports in Bahrain suggested Horner was due to meet Ben Sulayem yesterday about the email leak, which came just 24 hours after he was cleared by an internal inquiry over claims he displayed “coercive behaviour” towards a female colleague.
The Spice Girls star has flown to Bahrain to be alongside her husband (Getty Images)It is understood Red Bull were looking at the images contained in the leak. They came from an email address named Feb Twenty Ninth using a Google Drive link of WhatsApp messages and photos, sent at 6.14pm Bahrain time on Thursday. They were private messages purporting to be from Horner and a female member of staff.
Horner, who had denied all allegations against him, had told of his relief at being cleared by the internal inquiry. He said: “I respected the integrity of the independent investigation and fully cooperated with it every step of the way.” Horner reiterated his denials after the release of the emails on Thursday. But he could yet find himself under further scrutiny.
He said last night: “I am not going to comment on anonymous speculation from unknown sources.” The FIA’s International Sporting Code contains a subsection which hints at the moral responsibility competitors have, and says being in breach of their rules is “punishable, whether (...) committed intentionally or through negligence”.
Horner, in Bahrain, preparing for the first F1 race of the season, has allowed his private life to be filmed for Netflix series Drive To Survive. In a recent episode, he was enjoying time at home with Geri in Christmas 2022. In another, the pair chat about a driver who failed to land a grid seat.