James Haskell has opened up about the real reason behind his separation from Chloe Madeley, following previous claims that it was a publicity stunt. The former couple announced the decision to go their separate ways back in October 2023, five years into their marriage.
Despite splitting, both James and Chloe remain in each other's lives to amicably co-parent their two-year-old daughter Bodhi. Delving into the details of their break-up on the Spooning with Mark Wogan podcast, the 39-year-old explained that they simply stopped getting along while together.
"My thing is, we split up because we didn't get on anymore, and that's it, that's the end of it," he declared, dispelling any hint of scandal. "There's no like nefarious thing. Chloe, look the out of context language and the stuff the media writes, that's her use of language."
He continued: "Chloe is overtly honest about things like that, the honest answer is we didn't get on and that's why we separated. There's no like malicious [reason]."
He placed emphasis on how their choice was particularly critical for the sake of their daughter, to give her "the best possible life".
The pair's split came shortly after they wrapped up filming for their ITV series Chloe Madeley: A Family Affair. The film gave viewers an intimate insight into their marriage, which included periods apart due to James' DJ career.
With the announcement of their separation arriving before the documentary aired, the rugby star acknowledged speculation about it being a publicity stunt.
He explained: "The show was going to go out after we decided to separate, so while we were doing it, we were fine. When we were post that period of time, we were [like] listen this isn't where we can continue.
"Four months after that, it comes out, so the time scales are weird and it looks like a publicity stunt, people thought we were faking it."
Chloe, who is the daughter of television personalities Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, has previously claimed the final year of their marriage was "awful, dark [and] painful." She has however insisted on keeping the specific reason behind their split under wraps.
Talking to The Sun, she added: "I think more people should see it as a positive thing. I'm so proud of myself and so relieved that I actually called it a day."
