Jenson Button admitted he was a “selfish human” before having kids with his current wife.
The Formula One legend met Brittny Ward, a former Playboy model, while he was in the midst of a divorce from his first wife Jessica Michibata. Button, 44, and Ward, 34, got engaged two years later in 2018 and tied the knot in March 2022, before having two children – Hendrix and Lenny.
But they faced their fair share of problems at the beginning. Opening up about their relationship in a candid joint interview with The Times in 2023, the former F1 world champion revealed he was initially a “selfish human” before the birth of their children, now aged four and three.
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Button said: “I’m a changed man since they were born — sometimes we even fight over who gets to wake them. This is such a wonderful time in my life and I’m very grateful for what I have.
“I raced in Formula One for 17 years. As a driver, everything is done for you and I took that for granted. I became a selfish human being but children changed that.”
He added that it took a while to “find his place” and “be a good dad” when Hendrix was born in 2019. The former British racer gushed over his relationship with Brittny, revealing he knew quickly that she was “the one”.
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(Image: brittnyward/Instagram)
Mum-of-two Brittny agreed, stating: “We sort of had this chemistry right away. It was undeniable and just so easy.”
But she also pointed out that Button’s divorce situation meant it was “not the best timing”. Ward added: “You can’t always pick the moment. I think he liked my dry, sarcastic sense of humour.’
Brittny explained that her husband was emotional when he discovered he was becoming a parent. “Jenson was away when I found out, and I wanted to tell him face-to-face so I waited until he returned home,” she said.
(Image: Getty Images)
“It was so hard to not say anything on the phone but I thought it was more special to do it in person. I gave him a little gift box with the test in it and he started crying.
“It was a very sweet moment. It was exactly what you would want the father of your future child to do.”
The former Williams and McLaren driver split from his first wife in 2015 after a year of marriage. His wedding plans with Brittny were put on hold in July 2019 following the birth of Hendrix.