AnneKee Molenaar, the ex-wife of Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt, has spoken publicly about her divorce "hell" following the breakdown of their marriage. The model, who is known for her spiritual lifestyle, revealed that facing her feelings was an intensely painful experience.
Split after a year of marriage
De Ligt and Molenaar split last year after just a year of marriage. Despite the separation, Molenaar claims the two still love each other, even though the injured defender appears to have moved on with a new partner. The Netherlands international has been sidelined with a back injury for almost a year.
The defender is said to have grown tired of Molenaar's spiritual lifestyle, which centres around crystals, tarot cards, flower remedies, and alchemy. These elements feature prominently on her Instagram page.
'Open-heart surgery' pain
Speaking to RTL Boulevard, Molenaar described the emotional toll of the split. "It has been a tough year. A year with a lot of change, but also a year I am very grateful for," she said. "It is an abrupt change and you miss something and you are sad about that. You are in pain. I really experienced it as something physical. Just physical pain... that is really just a process of grieving."
She added: "It was like I was having open-heart surgery and someone was blowing on my heart. That is how fragile and vulnerable I felt. Bruised."
Molenaar also addressed speculation about the reasons for the split. "I understand that people think: something must have happened there. I hate to say it, but that is really just not the case," she said. "We had a wonderful time all those years, and yet last year we came to the conclusion that it is no longer there in a romantic way. There is a lot of love between Matthijs and me. There really is a lot of love. I think the most loving thing we did was saying: you go this way and I go that way."
New romance and business
Since the split, De Ligt has spent much of his time on the treatment table, but has reportedly found support in Dutch model Amber Yuusef. Earlier this summer, the pair were seen kissing while enjoying time in Ibiza.
Molenaar runs her own "Alchemia" page and business. The name is the Italian and Polish word for alchemy, the ancient chemical practice focused on transmuting base metals into gold and discovering the elixir of life. The pair first met in Amsterdam when De Ligt was playing for Ajax, with the defender proposing in 2023. Reports at the time suggested the couple planned a wedding celebration in Italy last summer, but according to Dutch publication DenD, the festivities were called off at the eleventh hour.
DenD reported that De Ligt had flown to Barbados without Molenaar following a solitary week in Ibiza. A source close to the pair revealed their union had reached its end. "Earlier, there was talk about 'some time for themselves' and going on vacation separately, but it is now reportedly definitely over," DenD reported, via Realityfbi. "Matthijs is said to have left for Ibiza alone this week and was in Barbados for this." According to Realityfbi, De Ligt had become increasingly frustrated by his wife's spiritual approach to life. "Apparently, Matthijs can no longer handle Annekee's exaggerated 'spiriwiri-content'."
