A driver has denied killing a reality TV star’s mother in a car crash that also left her with serious injuries.
Arda Alhaslioglu, 20, is accused of causing the death of Gillian Theodorou and seriously injuring TOWIE star Clelia Theodorou in May 2023.
Alhaslioglu, from Chigwell, Essex, denied both offences and a further charge of causing death while driving uninsured when he appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Monday.
Alhaslioglu – wearing a navy suit and white trainers as he entered the three not guilty pleas – remains on bail and will return for a further hearing in May.
Former reality TV star Clelia, 31, was pregnant at the time of the crash. She underwent several surgeries after sustaining ‘serious’ injuries including two broken legs.
Clelia posted on her Instagram in July 2023, saying: ‘At the end of May myself and my mum were unfortunately involved in an accident, we both suffered terrible injuries.
‘I am continuing to heal from mine after weeks in hospital, but it’s with the biggest regret to say that my beautiful mum couldn’t heal from hers.
Arda Alhaslioglu leaving court after denying causing the death of Gillian Theodorou and seriously injuring her daughter Clelia
Gillian Theodorou and TOWIE star Clelia Theodorou pictured together
Clelia pictured in hospital after the crash. She suffered serious injuries including breaking both of her legs
Clelia welcomed daughter Cielo with fiancé Tommy Cole just seven months after the accident
‘The person I never, ever wanted to say goodbye to. Who loved me unconditionally, the pure definition of a mother’s love. This pain is paralysing, this loss we are suffering is beyond a feeling to even try to describe.
‘My heart will never heal from this, life will never, ever be the same. It doesn’t feel real and it never will, I just want my mum back.’
In an Instagram Q&A Clelia shared distressing pictures of her in hospital while recovering and told her followers she it was still too ‘raw’ to discuss the crash.
One fan asked her: ‘Will you ever talk about your accident and what happened?’, to which she replied: ‘I’m not sure. I find it very hard to talk about.
‘Maybe in the future I will but it’s still really raw. Family and friends that know everything I can talk to, but talking about it to someone new and reliving it is so difficult.’
She also explained how she will most likely never drive again due to her PTSD from the crash, after one fan asked if she would ever get behind the wheel in the future.
Clelia said: ‘No, I haven’t been driving and don’t see myself driving for a very long time, if ever. It was really difficult getting into a car again after it happened just as a passenger.
‘I hope one day I will but for now absolutely not. Mostly due to PTSD but also my injuries, I would need to be fully confident with my feet etc.
‘The first time I was in a vehicle after was horrific. Luckily I was taken home from my time in hospital in an ambulance because I still had to be on a stretcher and had to lay down.
‘So that made it easier as there was only one small window to see out of but I couldn’t look. After that I was taken to and from appointments in ambulance transport, I couldn’t physically get into a car either.’
She welcomed her daughter Cielo with fiancé Tommy Cole seven months after the accident.