Kate Ferdinand has hit back over "gold digger" claims as she and husband Rio Ferdinand defend their relationship. The former The Only Way is Essex star married the ex-footballer in 2019 and they share children Cree and Shea, born last year. Rio also has children Lorenz, Tate and Tia from his previous marriage to Rebecca Ellison, who died in 2015 from breast cancer.
Kate's candid podcast admission
On her Blended podcast, Kate said: "People think I'm a gold digger, I'm with him for money. I'm basically his nanny that he doesn't pay." She pointed out that it would have been easier to choose a man without children, adding: "I always say if I wanted to pick a rich man I could have picked a lot easier one without all the kids. If it was just a money thing, it's true though. I'm here because I love you, there are great things and there are hard things."
Rio's response
Addressing Kate, Rio said: "I've thought about that a lot. There have been big issues that have happened, especially on where I have thought your life could be so much more simple without me, and without us." He continued: "As much pain and hard yards we have brought to her life, I think it balances out the goodness we have brought to her life as well. But I do appreciate the stress we have brought to her life as well."
Rio admitted that going from losing his late wife Rebecca to creating a blended family with Kate "wasn't a smooth transition," saying: "I had to adapt a lot of big things", reported the Mirror.
Kate's earlier revelations
While appearing on Anna Richardson's It Can't Just Be Me podcast, Kate previously shared that she wasn't initially aware of how much she signed up for when she started dating the former Manchester United player. She revealed: "When I think back, I don't know how we did navigate it and it's a real big blur. I went from being a single, carefree girl to a stepmum-of-three. And these kids have gone through so much, and there's grief. It's all a bit of a blur."
Kate continued: "It's hard to know what you're getting into sometimes until you're actually in it. Until you're in it, you don't really realise. I felt a little bit shocked, I didn't really know how to parent."
