Jackiey Budden, mother of the late Jade Goody, has broken her silence amid an ongoing legal dispute with Jeff Brazier over contact with her grandson Freddie. The 20-year-old model’s father is reportedly seeking to block contact between Freddie and his maternal grandmother, with a source claiming the relationship has been “detrimental to his wellbeing”.
Speaking from her home in Bermondsey, south London, the 68-year-old said: “I know what this is all about. It doesn't matter. Do I want to see Freddy? Of course I do. I see Freddy all of the time. I will see him.” A neighbour told MailOnline: “I feel sorry for Jackiey. She's been through so much. It's a complex situation. I just hope they can be all together again as a family. Her grandchildren mean the world to her.”
Ms Budden has previously expressed animosity towards Brazier, calling him a “c**k” after she sneaked into the O2 Arena to watch her other grandson, Bobby, win his first National Television Award. She admitted they have never liked each other but insisted she has always been there for her grandsons.
The reported legal move comes 16 years after Jade Goody died from cervical cancer at the age of 27, when Freddie was four and his brother, EastEnders actor Bobby, was five. A source close to the family told The Sun: “This is something Jeff and anyone who cares about Freddy hopes will help keep Freddy safe from a relationship that has been incredibly detrimental to his wellbeing for a long time now. The fact that he is going down this route shows how concerned we all are and how our efforts to keep Fred safe are being grossly undermined by other people.”
Freddie, who was raised by his father after his mother’s death in 2009, has previously spoken openly about his mental health struggles on BBC’s Celebrity Race Across The World. He said of his father: “At times where I’ve pushed him away, he has pulled even harder to pull me back in. I don’t think I praise my dad enough for everything he has done for me but he knows the love.” Earlier this month, Brazier posted photos of himself and Freddie at a meditation retreat and running together, captioned: “So grateful to Fred. He's cycled alongside me every night this week and supported me since I decided I wanted to run an ultra marathon this year.”
