This Morning star Ashley James today clashed with Dermot O’Leary as she hit out at the ‘witch hunt’ against Lauryn Goodman amid her court battle with ex Kyle Walker.
Ashley told the programme anger should be directed at the England footballer and not at his wife or ex-lover as she argued Walker’s children with Ms Goodman should be able to have the same lifestyle as the rest of his offspring.
Yesterday a list of demands from Ms Goodman, which included £350,000 per year in child maintenance, a £70,000 new car every three years and a £2.4 million mansion in Sussex, were made public.
Today Ashley defended Ms Goodman as she hit out at ‘sexist’ judgements which she said were part of a ‘witch hunt’ against her, citing criticism of her as a ‘golddigger’.
Speaking on the programme, she said: ‘We’re putting our anger and judgement onto the wrong person because ultimately I’d like to see an itinerary of what he spends on his other children and what sort of lifestyle he gives to his other children.
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Ashley told the programme anger should be directed at the England footballer and not at his wife or ex-lover
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Kyle Walker arriving at the Central Family Court in London amid his fight with ex-lover Lauryn Goodman
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Influencer Lauryn Goodman has two children with Walker, while he has another four with his wife
‘We can all judge the adults in this but ultimately it’s a bit of a witch hunt on Lauren, because actually he fathered two children and he doesn’t see them.
‘But if I was in that situation and I had four children with one partner and two with another that I didn’t see, why are we demonising the woman who’s staying and raising the children?
‘Of course it looks like astronomical figures but if I had two children that were living a much less glamourous life than my other children, I think that’s a bit weird.
‘Ultimately she is a single mum, she’s raising her children on her own and I really feel for all women.’
But Dermot disagreed, telling her: ‘I don’t think this is the best case for that point of view though. What leaps out is the figures…’
Ashley hit back and said: ‘Nobody forced him to have children.’
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Walker had been with his childhood sweetheart Kilner since they were teenagers at school
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Lauryn Goodman posted a picture of her children cheering on Kyle Walker in the Euro 2024 quarter-final between England and Switzerland on July 6, with shirts saying ‘Daddy’
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Kyle Walker with wife Annie Kilner and family after England v Denmark in Frankfurt on June 20
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Lauryn Goodman takes her son Kairo to watch his father Kyle Walker at England v Denmark in Frankfurt on June 20. He was wearing a number 2 England shirt with ‘Daddy’ on the back
The England Vice Captain, 32, and his former mistress entered a legal battle earlier this month where Goodman, 33, reeled off a list of pricey demands, amid her application for a higher child maintenance fee for their son and daughter.
Amongst Ms Goodman’s expensive requests, which were slammed as ‘insatiable greed’ by her former lover, were the payments for the luxury cars for herself and her nanny, who does not even have a driving licence.
Responding to a grilling by the influencer’s barrister Nichola Gray Walker questioned why Goodman would need a nanny when his wife Annie Kilner, 32, and himself, who share four children, do not need help.
‘I have four children and I don’t have a nanny,’ he said before adding: ‘If the nanny needs a vehicle, the nanny can use Lauren’s vehicle.’
‘I’m sorry Miss Gray, I don’t know how many people you would like me to pay for. I’m paying for Lauryn, for a nanny. Does she want a chef?’ he quipped.
Walker, who has a £26million fortune, added: ‘You keep on saying these are small amounts because of my wealth.
‘If you add these sums up over 18 years. If you say it’s a little bit extra for this a little bit extra for that, in that grand scheme of things – a pound is a pound.
‘Let’s not be flippant that because I earn the money that I earn which I have done off my own back playing football that you can just spend the money like an open cheque book.’
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Lauryn Goodman leaves the Central Family Court at the end of the hearing for child maintenance case
The legal showdown was the latest in the WAG drama, after Kilner kicked Walker out of their £3.5million mansion in Cheshire, after Goodman revealed he was the father to her daughter, who was born in June 2023.
It came four years after Goodman had their first child Kairo in 2020 she publicly announced that Walker was the father, leading his relationship with Kilner to go up in flames.
After Goodman publicly revealed Kinara was also Walker’s child, it led to the Manchester City defender cutting off his ex-mistress, eventually being allowed back home by his wife.
Yesterday, a reporting restrictions was lifted in the astonishing child maintenance case – revealing the jaw-dropping details and staggering amounts of money involved.
Much of the case focused on the glassed mansion Walker had bought Goodman, and the long list of safety features and renovations: a £33,000 air conditioning system because the heat becomes ‘unbearable’ in summer.
Another issue Goodman had was with her patio, which she said was ‘unsafe’ and wanted a £31,000 Astro turf instead, claiming that her one-year-old daughter will be a ‘Lioness’ one day.
She had wanted £500 a month to maintain the hot tub, solely for the children’s use.
Goodman wanted a gardener costing £500 a month and a £1,440 monthly cleaner – plus a nanny costing £67,000, plus £30,000 for her car, which she couldn’t drive yet.
He had even funded her £8,000 holiday to Mexico last year.
Walker, who earns a reported £160,000 a week, was described as ‘grounded and reasonable’ by Judge Edward Hess.
But his former lover was lambasted as a spendthrift who was ‘spending money as if it was going out of fashion’.
Both parties have until August 13 to appeal.
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Source: Los Angeles Times (edited)
