Caroline Peaty has issued a statement after her son Adam's emotional outburst on live television at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow regarding their continuing family feud. In a heartfelt message, the mother revealed she still loves her son and is supporting him from afar.
Adam Peaty's Emotional Interview
The 31-year-old swimmer became distressed after his bronze-medal showing in the 100m breaststroke final. He declared that the widely publicised row with his estranged family "has taken its toll," but maintained that the split was "no fault of my own." Speaking to reporters, he said: "It's hard because I know how hard I've worked. I know the s*** I've been through, which is no fault of my own. It does take a toll." He also slammed public scrutiny and online criticism, telling reporters "enough is enough."
Adam added: "I'm not crying because it's bronze instead of gold. I'm crying because I know I am better than that. I feel like I couldn't have put any more in and that's where it hurts, because I'm like, 'What's the point of all the metres every day, what's the point of being exhausted all the time?' What's the point of having to say no to family events so you can go to training? It has to mean something and for me it has to be human excellence and that is not excellence for me."
Caroline Peaty's Instagram Statement
Following Adam's interview, Caroline took to Instagram to send a message. She posted a monochrome image of Cillian Murphy from Peaky Blinders with the caption: "I forgive people but that doesn't mean I accept their behaviour or trust them. I forgive them for me, so I can let go and move on with my life." She admitted speaking to a national newspaper during the early stages of the fallout but said she hasn't publicly discussed him since, hinting she is ready to repair the relationship.
Caroline shared: "We continue to support Adam from afar. He's our son who we love, whom we supported to reach his aspirations. Our love, our time, our sacrifices were given freely with no expectation of financial reward just genuinely given with the love as any mother and father would do for their child." She continued: "We are strong, we love and are always there for each other. The very nature of our strength as a family has helped us move past the nastiness, the lies that have been told about us."
Absence from the Games
Adam's parents Caroline and Mark were not present in the stands to see him compete. Instead, he was cheered on by his wife Holly, daughter of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, with whom he is expecting his second child later this year. Adam's relationship with his parents deteriorated in the run-up to his December wedding, reportedly after his mother expressed upset at not receiving an invitation to Holly's hen party. Celebrities like Victoria Beckham were welcomed at Soho Farmhouse, yet Caroline was asked to stay home to look after Adam's son. After Caroline voiced distress on social media, she was told not to attend the wedding in Bath; Adam's father could attend only if he stayed at the back of the church. On the day, only Adam's sister Bethany attended from his side. It is now reported that Adam and Bethany are also estranged.
