Katie Price’s rift with her family is said to be deepening following her quickie marriage to Lee Andrews.
The reality TV star, 47, shocked everyone earlier this year when she got engaged to entrepreneur Lee in Dubai, mere days after meeting, marking her ninth engagement.
And in the same week, the new couple tied the knot, with Katie reportedly blindsiding her loved ones, who had no idea it was happening and who had not met her fourth husband.
The wedding also came just weeks after Katie’s split from Married At First Sight star JJ Slater, whom she dated for two years, having reportedly been unable to see a future with him.
In the newest developments, it’s believed that Katie’s family are siding with TV personality JJ, who jetted off the US to ‘heal his broken heart’ after the breakup.
After his months-long social media silence, JJ returned with a post this weekend, writing in the caption, ‘So back 🇺🇸’, seemingly suggesting he’s ready to move on.
The snaps he shared documented his time across the pond, also including a perhaps not-so-subtle message about his current mindset, as he photographed his book – Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck – by the pool.
Katie’s younger sister, Sophie, was among those to ‘like’ the post, while other commenters told JJ he is ‘looking well’.
A source later told The Mirror: ‘Katie’s family are very much “Team JJ”. Ever since the breakup, they’ve been in touch with him and supporting him.
‘They think the way he’s been treated throughout this has been awful. They are really disappointed.’
Sophie believed JJ to be ‘so supportive of Katie and one of the nicest guys she’d been out with’; hence, she liked his pics.
‘Everything Katie is doing is just putting more of a distance between herself and her family,’ the insider added of the current dynamic.
On how Katie will react to Sophie’s latest double tapping, it’s a given that she ‘won’t be happy’ because ‘no matter how nice he is, [JJ] is still an ex’.
‘She’ll think it’s disloyal but underneath, she knows she’s treated JJ terribly and that he’s a nice guy.’
While Sophie, 36, has not publicly spoken about Katie’s new marriage to Lee, fans definitely picked up a vibe when the sisters paused their podcast, The Katie Price Show, which they co-host.
At the end of January after Katie’s shock nuptials, Sophie admitted it had been ‘one hell of a week’ but insisted it would still be business as usual.
However, just days later, a statement uploaded to the podcast’s Instagram page read: ‘We’re pressing pause on The Katie Price Show podcast for now.
‘With so much current media attention, it doesn’t feel right to release an episode at this time.
‘The podcast has always observed the headlines, not added to them.
‘Thank you for your continued support and understanding.’
Katie has been in Dubai with Lee this week for their honeymoon after he claimed he stayed behind after the wedding to ‘house hunt’ for the two of them.
Since reuniting, they’ve shared plenty of content on Instagram, with one of Katie’s best pals in showbiz, Kerry Katona, also flying out to meet her new man.
And Katie certainly hasn’t minced her words when speaking out against critics of her love life.
Ranting on Instagram Stories on Valentine’s Day, she wrote: ‘@Wesleeeandrews has given me more security more respect and proven that everything that’s been said about him has been absolute BS by bitter people and snakes in all areas.’
The rumours she was referring to are likely the speculation that Lee was ‘banned’ from leaving Dubai due to a jail stint for fraud, which he has denied. Exes have also come forward to accuse Lee, urging Katie to ‘run for the hills’.
Filming herself packing to travel back to him, Katie also told her YouTube subscribers that she’s ‘not stupid’.
Defending her decisions, she explained that she has purposely avoided commenting on the marriage, but insisted: ‘I know what I’m doing.’
‘I’ve made no comments about anything; I don’t feel I need to make comments about anything,’ she added.
‘I’m fully aware, like everyone else, I see stuff, I get sent stuff. What I want everyone to know is I’m a grown a**e woman.’
According to The Sun, Katie put money down on a home with Lee – who has lived in Dubai for over 20 years – this week, and the contract has been signed.
‘She is really excited and thinks she is going to have her happy ending with Lee, but those close to Katie fear this could be the start of a potential scam,’ a source said.
They added that she is ‘busy planning her new life with Lee and has splashed the cash on this property’.
Still, it’s making her close friends and family ‘anxious’.
‘They’re concerned about his motives, and that is only natural given what some of his ex-partners have said.’
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