Ryan Giggs' ex

Release time：2024-05-21 12:48:35 Source：Global Groove news portal

Ryan Giggs' ex-wife is said to 'approve' of the footballer's girlfriend Zara Charles. 

Stacey Giggs, 44, divorced Ryan, 50, in 2017 after 10 years of marriage, after it emerged that he had been having an eight-year affair with his brother's wife, Natasha. 

The pair have remained amicable for the sake of their children, Zach, 17, and Liberty, 21, who they have been quietly co-parenting. 

Now as Ryan prepares to welcome a third child - this time with lingerie model Zara, 36 - Stacey is said to have given her blessing. 

She is also said to have spent Christmas 2022 with Ryan and Zara as a 'blended family.'  

Stacey Giggs is said to 'approve' of her ex-husband Ryan's lingerie model girlfriend Zara Charles and has given the couple her blessing 

Ryan is set to welcome a child with Zara, 36, according to reports (pictured together in Manchester earlier this month)

A source told The Sun: 'Stacey approves of Zara. Her and Ryan have been through a lot but they have moved on and she's only interested in him being happy, because that makes him a good dad to their kids. There is no animosity.' 

MailOnline has contacted Stacey's representatives for comment.  

Stacey and Ryan settled their £40million High Court divorce battle in November 2017, with their legal team announcing they 'remain firm friends'. 

Lawyers shared a statement that read: 'Ryan and Stacey Giggs are pleased to say that they have managed to reach a financial settlement in their divorce.

'This concludes the divorce proceedings and they will not be making any further comment.

'The terms of the settlement are confidential, but both wished to express their sincere thanks to their respective legal teams.

'They are pleased to leave this chapter of their lives as firm friends.'

The court battle followed the very public breakdown of their marriage as Ryan's multiple affairs were exposed. 

His affair with Natasha  started while his wife-to-be Stacey was pregnant with their first child and continued for eight years. 

In 2010, two weeks prior to Natasha and Rhodri getting married, Natasha fell pregnant with Ryan''s child. 

She had an abortion after the star delivered £500 in cash on his bicycle as a contribution to the cost.

At the same time he was sleeping with Big Brother star Imogen Thomas, later spending £150,000 on a super-injunction in a bid to keep the relationship secret.

Stacey and Ryan divorced in 2017 after it was revealed he had been having an eight-year affair with his brother's wife, Natasha (pictured 2010) 

Ryan has son Zach, 17, and daughter Libby, 19, from his 10-year marriage to Stacey Cooke (pictured), while Zara has a daughter from a previous marriage

Stacey started dating The Wanted star Max George in 2018, with Max previously calling Stacey 'the one', after meeting way back in 2011 at V festival.

However the couple temporarily split in March 2022 when Stacey reportedly grew suspicious about her boyfriend's close relationship with Maisie Smith, who he had spent two months with on the Strictly tour.

After a few days apart, the couple reconciled before Stacey reportedly dumped Max on July 25 after the Maisie rumours refused to die down.

Days later, Maisie and Max confirmed they were dating.  

Stacey allegedly accused Max of cheating on her, with The Sun reporting that Stacey told a pal: 'To see them dating publicly so quickly after I dumped him is like a dagger to the heart.

'Max cheated on me with Maisie. I asked him about her but he denied anything had happened.

'After everything I’ve done for him, I cannot believe he would be so rude and disrespectful. He’s a lying dog. I feel betrayed.'

She then went on to claim Max has changed since they first got together and he's now 'obsessed with fame'.

Stacey started dating The Wanted star Max George in 2018 but the couple split in 2022, amid rumours he had cheated on her with current girlfriend Maisie Smith 

Ryan and Zara - who has a daughter from a previous marriage - began dating in 2021 and are said to be expecting their first child together later this year.

'Ryan was nervous about what his kids would think but they've got to know Zara over the last few years and really like her. They're happy because they know he's happy,' a source told The Sun. 

'But they've joked that he might struggle with the early mornings and lack of sleep. Ryan and Zara are thrilled at the prospect of becoming parents again, they have a very solid, loving relationship and are building a long-term future together.'

READ MORE: Inside football's messiest divorces

Another source told the publication: 'Stacey approves of Zara. Her and Ryan have been through a lot but they have moved on and she's only interested in him being happy, because that makes him a good dad to their kids. There is no animosity.' 

Ryan and Zara's exciting news comes after the former footballer returned to work as Director of Football at Salford City, the club he co-owns, after being cleared of assaulting former girlfriend Kate Greville in 2023. 

He was facing charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm over an alleged headbutt on Katie plus further counts of coercive or controlling behaviour against her and common assault against her sister Emma.

But, in a 10-minute court hearing, the prosecution offered no evidence and Judge Hilary Manley said: 'I formally enter not guilty verdicts in respect of each of the three counts.'

Chris Daw KC, defending Ryan, said his client is 'deeply relieved the prosecution has finally come to an end after almost three years in which he's been fighting throughout to clear his name', adding: 'He has always been innocent of these charges - there's been very, very many lies told about him in court.'

It was then revealed how the case began to fall apart when Katie said she did not want to testify due to the effects of the process on her 'mental and physical well-being.'

However lawyers for Ryan said he 'did not buy' her reasoning, insisting the prosecution was put off by new information uncovered by the defence. 

This included a cosmetic procedure to have lip fillers on or around the day of the alleged headbutt and several days before she was pictured with apparently swollen and bruised lips as a result of the alleged attack.

The news comes after the former footballer returned to work as Director of Football at Salford City, the club he co-owns, after being cleared of assaulting ex girlfriend Kate Greville in 2023 

He was facing charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm over an alleged headbutt on Katie (pictured) plus further counts of coercive or controlling behaviour against her

Ryan's barrister said his client was 'looking forward to rebuilding his life and career as an innocent man'.

Jurors had failed to reach a verdict following an original, 11-day trial in 2022, after 22 hours and 59 minutes' deliberations.

The decision not to go ahead with a re-trial was revealed during the short pre-trial review hearing at Manchester Crown Court in August 2023, with neither Ryan nor Katie in attendance.

Peter Wright KC, prosecuting, said the original trial over the alleged assault at Giggs' home in November 2020 was 'a process that has taken its toll' on PR consultant Katie and her sister.

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