British boxer Chris Eubank Jr has opened up about the deeply personal reason behind his decision to shield his long-term girlfriend from the public eye, revealing he was profoundly affected by his parents' very public relationship breakdown.
A Surprise Announcement
The fighter announced last week that he is expecting twin boys next year, a revelation that stunned his followers given the intense secrecy surrounding his private affairs. This news comes shortly after his points defeat to rival Conor Benn in their highly anticipated rematch on Saturday night.
Eubank Jr, the son of boxing legend Chris Eubank Sr, grew up with his family's life broadcast on the television series At Home With The Eubanks. He witnessed firsthand how his father's life was played out in the media, from the high-profile divorce from his wife Karron in 2005 to Eubank Sr's bankruptcy four years later.
Learning From The Past
In a candid explanation given before his fight with Benn, Eubank Jr admitted he learned from his parents' mistakes. "My private life should be private, that's how I have always seen it," he stated. "What people don’t know and what people don’t see, they cannot target, they cannot ruin, they cannot try to interfere with."
He questioned the benefit of exposing personal relationships, pointing to the frequent scandals and divorces that plague high-profile couples. "Social media does nothing but ruin relationships," he asserted. "I saw that from very early on, I experienced it with my mother and father. Their split was very public and it was hard to watch and it was embarrassing."
This early experience forged a lifelong resolution. "I knew, from that age, that - whatever relationship I got into - I wasn’t going to make it public," Eubank Jr explained. "It’s unnecessary. It’s not like I am hiding it. I just chose not to throw it out there."
A New Chapter and Family Reconciliation
The boxer chose a unique moment to share his baby news with his own father, revealing it during the filming of a BBC documentary. "I had to announce it sometime, I couldn’t just pop up with two kids on my shoulder," he joked.
He described the filmed moment as a beautiful memory they can relive forever. This joyful news is made sweeter by the recent reconciliation with his father, whom he reunited with in April just hours before his first victory over Conor Benn.
Eubank Jr expressed profound relief that his father is back in his life, especially now as he becomes a grandfather. "It’s a massive thing to have him back in my life, especially now, because he is their grandfather and that’s a very important relationship," he said, reflecting on how different the situation would have been during the years they were not speaking.
