Geri Halliwell and Christian Horner’s marriage ‘now in query’

Geri Halliwell and Christian Horner’s ‘marriage is now in query for the primary time’ pals revealed to MailOn-line final night time after a humiliating text-exchange between the F1 boss and a feminine worker had been leaked.

The couple had breathed a collective sigh of reduction on Wednesday when Red Bull cleared Horner of misconduct and inappropriate behaviour allegations.

But final night time, a collection WhatsApp texts and images had been launched to dozens of journalists and key figures in sport, throwing the scandal again into the general public into the highlight as soon as once more.

Friends near the Spice Girl, who stood by her husband of 9 years resolutely all through the interior probe, have revealed she is now ‘having the meltdown to all meltdowns over the leaks’.

Halliwell had deliberate to fly out to the Grand Prix going down in Bahrain this weekend to reunite publicly with Horner, however these near the previous popstar have mentioned it’s now ‘extremely unlikely’ that she is going to be a part of him.

Instead the mother-of-two has been left ‘feeling humiliated’ after the messages had been unfold ‘so broadly on the market’, a good friend added.

Hundreds of intimate WhatsApp exchanges purportedly between Horner and the colleague had been launched through an nameless electronic mail account.

Horner was solely cleared by Red Bull’s Salzburg-based mother or father firm – and informed he may keep on as group principal of the world-championship on a £8million-a-year-salary – 24 hours earlier than the texts dropped.

Halliwell had informed pals that she was ‘relieved and elated’ that the claims in opposition to her associate, who she shares seven-year-old son Monty, had lastly been dropped.

Friends of the ex-Spice Girl informed the Mail she although the scandal had ‘lastly gone away’ however have warned the looks of the intimate messages – to which there are 79 screenshots – may ‘destroy’ her.

One mentioned: ‘All alongside Christian promised there was nothing in it.’

Another mentioned he now fears for the way the star, who has been left mortified on the embarrassing fall out, will be capable of comprehend such a public humiliation.

He mentioned: ‘Geri has been dwelling on this completely satisfied, completely satisfied bubble for therefore a few years now, she thought she had her prince and her knight in shining armour however now this.

‘She thought that it had all gone away, she was delighted and over the moon when she realized Christian had been cleared.

‘Geri was pilloried when she obtained along with Christian as a result of he had simply had one other child with one other girl however she has labored arduous to rid that picture of herself and Christian, and particularly that she is a homewrecker.

‘Now it has all come crashing down. The tears stopped when the judgment got here in on Wednesday, now they completely can have began once more. 

‘This will destroy her. All alongside Christian promised there was nothing in it.’

One supply near the star mentioned that she ‘wasn’t positive what to imagine’ all through the saga however was decided to get by way of it with their marriage unscathed.

‘Geri is not any fish spouse however she lastly obtained the person she wished and she or he will not wish to let him go. This may find yourself being an enormous dilemma for her,’ the supply mentioned.

The tranche of messages had been despatched to FIA president Mohammad Ben Sulayem and F1 chief government Stefano Domenicali. All the group principals had been copied in, together with star driver Max Verstappen’s father Jos.

Earlier this month Halliwell had briefly unfollowed world champion Verstappen on Instagram after the allegations in opposition to Horner first got here to gentle. Sources near the star mentioned tonight that this was an ’emotional response’ which she thought would go unnoticed.

Reigning world champion Verstappen was quizzed forward of the Bahrain Grand Prix yesterday over whether or not Red Bull’s probe into Horner had impacted or altered the group’s preparations for the season.

The Dutchman, insisting that his focus has not been altered, replied: ‘It does not. I’m very centered on simply the efficiency of the automotive and myself.

‘Hopefully will probably be resolved very quickly. It’s an entire group effort that everybody has to stay collectively and work to extra success, in order that’s why it is essential to get every little thing resolved very quickly.

‘(Horner) is essential in any other case he would not have been in that place for such a very long time.’

The intense highlight on Horner in current weeks had already began to take a pressure on the couple’s house life – which they cut up between their farmhouse, and stables, in Oxfordshire and a house in North London. 

A supply near the pair mentioned final night time the previous couple of weeks had been ‘hell for Christian and his household’ and he had all the time branded the claims as being ‘nuts’.

‘Geri is devastated and has been struggling to eat and sleep. Her household and fellow Spice Girls are nervous about her,’ the supply mentioned final week forward of Horner being cleared.

‘I hear Christian is attempting to pep her as much as keep optimistic, however she has gone to floor in the way in which she did after she left the Spice Girls. She’s not chatting with anybody.’ 

Shortly after the leak yesterday, Horner launched a press release which learn: ‘I cannot touch upon nameless hypothesis, however to reiterate I’ve all the time denied the allegations.

‘I revered the integrity of the unbiased investigation and totally cooperated with it each step of the way in which. 

‘It was an intensive and truthful investigation performed by an unbiased specialist barrister, and it has concluded dismissing the criticism made. I stay totally centered on the beginning of the season.’

Announcing its conclusion on Wednesday, the corporate mentioned: ‘The unbiased investigation into the allegations made in opposition to Mr Horner is full, and Red Bull can verify that the grievance has been dismissed. 

The complainant has a proper of attraction. Red Bull is assured that the investigation has been truthful, rigorous and neutral. ‘

Horner, who has received 13 world championships since heading the group as a 31-year-old in 2005, had beforehand thanked his ‘very supportive spouse’ for her backing in the course of the accusations.

Halliwell and Horner blended in social circles earlier than they struck up a romance, having first met one another on the Monaco Grand Prix in 2009.

‘[Geri] was a visitor of [former CEO of the Formula One Group] Bernie Ecclestone’s in Monaco one 12 months and got here down the pit lane,’ Horner beforehand informed The Telegraph. ‘I keep in mind [McLaren boss] Ron Dennis was standing subsequent to me and Eddie Jordan was there as properly.

‘She gave Ron a kiss on the cheek, and she or he gave Eddie a kiss on the cheek. So I assumed, ‘OK, I’m on for a kiss on the cheek right here!’ And I went to present her one and she or he shoved her hand out at me.’

Their relationship, nonetheless, obtained off to a rocky begin, coming underneath hearth after the Red Bull chief left his long-term associate Beverley Allen six months after she gave start to their daughter Olivia.

While the couple took a brief break to see if Horner may rescue his relationship with the mom of his baby, simply 9 months later he introduced his engagement to Ginger Spice in an commercial within the The Times in 2014.

It mentioned: ‘The engagement is introduced between Christian, son of Mr and Mrs G.M. Horner and Geraldine, daughter of the late Mr L.F. Halliwell and Mrs A Parkinson.’

The former Spice Girl and Red Bull boss tied the knot at St Mary’s Church in Woburn, Bedfordshire, in 2015.

Halliwell’s A-line lace bridal robe was designed by British designer Phillipa Lepley.

Her nine-year-old daughter, Bluebell, whom she had with screenwriter Sacha Gervasi in 2005, additionally attended the marriage.

Guests included Geri’s former Spice Girls co-star Emma Bunton, radio presenter and singer Myleene Klass, and TV presenter Amanda Holden.

Christian’s mother and father had been reportedly left devastated when the sporting skilled left Ms Allen to be with the chart-topping star and due to this fact selected to not see the duo tie the knot.

A supply near the couple beforehand mentioned: ‘Geri and Christian are upset that his mother and father aren’t coming.’

Horner has received 13 world championships since heading the group as a 31-year-old in 2005. He was then the youngest group principal on the grid, but is now its longest-serving.