Former England and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey has separated from his wife Chantelle Heskey and publicly confirmed a new relationship with former Miss Blackpool Jade Slusarczyk on social media. The couple, who married in 2014 after nearly two decades together, are now in the process of divorcing, a source confirmed to the Manchester Evening News.
New Relationship Goes Public
Heskey, 48, was pictured arm-in-arm with Slusarczyk on the red carpet at the Ricky Hatton tribute event at Manchester's AO Arena in June. More recently, the pair shared photos on Instagram supporting a darts event, with Slusarczyk tagging Heskey and exchanging love heart emojis. Slusarczyk, 40, describes herself as a Sky Sports Walk-on Girl, involved in sports like snooker, pool, and darts.
She was previously in a high-profile relationship with snooker world champion Jimmy White, 63, whom she dated since 2018. White credited Slusarczyk with helping him stay on track after battles with drink and drugs, telling The Sun in 2021: "It's a miracle she fancies me. But she doesn't care about the age difference, so why should I?"
End of a Long Relationship
Heskey first met Chantelle Tagoe when she was an 18-year-old waitress in Liverpool, and he was a 23-year-old star striker for the Reds. Their relationship began after Heskey ended a previous relationship with Kylee Pinsent, with whom he has three children. He proposed to Chantelle in 2006, and they married in a lavish ceremony at Rookery Hall in Cheshire in 2014, the same venue where David and Victoria Beckham announced their engagement in 1998.
Chantelle became a prominent figure on Cheshire's social scene, organizing charity events and themed parties, including an annual Halloween bash in Alderley Edge. She later co-owned a bar, Parea, in Alderley Edge and a nightclub in Liverpool. The couple have four children together: Jaden, 20, Reigan, 18, Milanna, 11, and Mendez, 9. Jaden and Reigan made their first-team debuts for Manchester City earlier this year, with Reigan earning caps for England.
Divorce Confirmed
A friend of Chantelle told the MEN: "Their marriage has been over for a while, but not many people know, they have kept it very quiet. But now that Emile appears to have gone public with his new girlfriend it's been quite difficult for Chantelle as lots of people have been messaging her asking what's going on." The friend added that the couple had grown apart due to work commitments.
Chantelle confirmed to the MEN that she is divorcing Heskey but declined further comment. Representatives for Heskey have been asked for comment. Since retiring from football in 2016, Heskey has worked as a TV pundit and as head of women's football development at Leicester City Women. He earned 62 caps for England between 1999 and 2010, playing alongside stars like Michael Owen and David Beckham, and scored in the 2002 World Cup against Denmark.
