Ben Foden’s new wife ‘dreams of having her own family’ and is ‘perfect’ for the divorced rugby ace, relative claims… as couple announce marriage after two WEEKS of dating
- On Tuesday Ben announced that he had married girlfriend Jackie Belanoff Smith in Massachusetts after just two weeks of dating
- The rugby star insisted ex-wife Una – with whom he shares two children, Aoife, seven, and Tadhg, four – gave her blessing for the nuptials to go ahead
- Una and Ben were married for six years until they split in July 2018 when it emerged he had cheated on her with a PR girl
They tied the knot over the weekend, after just two weeks of dating.
And now, Ben Foden’s new wife Jackie Belanoff Smith’s relatives have revealed that her ‘dream is to have her own family’ as they claimed the newlyweds are ‘perfect for each other.’
The rugby star, 34, insisted ex-wife Una Healy, 37 – with whom he shares two children – gave her blessing ahead of the nuptials, one year after their divorce, and now it seems that Jackie’s family have also given the shock marriage their seal of approval.
Perfect: Ben Foden’s, 34, new wife Jackie Belanoff Smith’s relatives have revealed that her ‘dream is to have her own family’ as they claimed the newlyweds are ‘perfect for each other’
Jackie’s cousin Victoria Sazonov-Smith, 19, revealed that the New York native has her eyes set on becoming a mother, and admitted that she and Ben ‘seem very in love.’
She told The Mirror: ‘I was a little bit surprised but Jackie has always been a romantic. Her dream is to have her own family.’
‘I don’t know how Ben and Jackie got together, it happened so quick! But they seem very in love and by what she’s told me about him, I think they’re perfect for each other.’
‘She’s very smart, so if she thinks this Ben is the perfect guy, I believe her.’
So in love: Jackie’s cousin Victoria Sazonov-Smith, 19, revealed that the New York native has her eyes set on becoming a mother, and admitted that she and Ben ‘seem very in love’
Approval: The rugby star insisted ex-wife Una Healy, 37 – with whom he shares two children – gave her blessing ahead of the nuptials, one year after their divorce
Family man: Ben is father to Aoife, seven, and Tadhg, four with his ex-wife
Delving into Jackie’s previous romances, her cousin admitted the New Yorker has been in love before, but never enough to wed.
Victoria described her cousin as a strong female who is focused on her career and who has a great social life.
And while Ben’s new wife’s family show their support for the whirlwind union, his ex-wife Una Healy’s Saturdays bandmates have reportedly rallied round her following the news that her ex-husband has remarried one year after their divorce.
Supported: Una Healy’s Saturdays band mates have reportedly rallied round her following the news that her ex-husband Ben Foden has remarried one year after their divorce
A source told The Sun that Frankie Bridge, 30, Mollie King, 32, Rochelle Humes, 30, and Vanessa White, 29, were ‘straight on the phone’ to Una, after learning Ben, 34, had tied the knot with girlfriend Jackie Belanoff Smith after just two weeks of dating.
In a surprise Instagram post Ben also revealed he had married Jackie with the blessing of his ex-wife Una, as they exchanged vows aboard a yacht in Nantucket, Massachusetts, at the weekend.
A source said: ‘The girls have all been there for Una. As soon as they heard what happened, Rochelle, Mollie, Vanessa and Frankie were straight on their phones as they were worried about their friend.
‘They have rallied around to support her as they can only imagine what she is feeling.
‘She’s a strong woman, but her friends have let her know that they will be there for her through this as it is still a shock to the system that Ben would remarry so soon.’
MailOnline has contacted representatives for Una Healy, Frankie Bridge, Mollie King, Rochelle Humes and Vanessa White for comment.
The Saturdays went on a hiatus in 2015 and have remained close friends despite opting to pursue individual projects.
Friends: (L-R) Mollie King, Vanessa White, Frankie Bridge and Rochelle Humes all reportedly rushed to support Una. The band remain close after going on hiatus in 2015 (above 2009)
The reports come just hours after Ben publicly announced he had married Jackie in a romantic ceremony in the United States.
The rugby star insisted Una – with whom he shares two children – remarkably gave her blessing for the nuptials to go ahead, and told his followers that ‘beautiful, intelligent, charming and funny’ Jackie ‘swept him off his feet in a time of hardship’.
In his reveal, he wrote: ‘People will say we are mad or even fools, as @snackyjax and I had only been dating seriously for a little over 2 weeks before deciding to get married. But when someone like her comes in to your life, why would I wait?’
Exciting: It comes after Ben took to Instagram to announce he had married Jackie Belanoff Smith after just two weeks of dating
Here comes the couple of two weeks! The duo flashed their rings as they got to the top of the ‘aisle’ – which happened to be the deck of an idyllic yacht
In images from the day, Ben and his new wife were dressed in formal attire, as he donned a sharp navy shirt and a pair of slim-fitting white chino trousers.
Jackie looked radiant in an elegant figure-hugging gold floor-length gown with glitzy silver straps, accessorised with a silver watch and gold bangle.
The only guest who appeared to be in attendance at the nuptials was Jackie’s sister Leila, who Ben thanked in his post for ‘being a legend’.
Despite the minimal guest list, the sportsman insisted all ‘close family and friends’, including ex Una, were told about the wedding before it went ahead.
He also praised Jackie for being a ‘great step-mum’ to his daughter Aoife, seven, and son Tadhg, four, although it is not clear whether she has met his children yet.
Former flame: Ben was previously married to ex Una, who is the mother of his two children, Tadhg, four, and Aoife, seven (the couple, pictured in May last year)
In one shot, the couple sipped on bubbly from champagne flutes while still on board the yacht.
Another saw the pair display their wedding bands as they held hands, while in a third the new couple said their vows while stood in front of an officiant.
In another photograph, the duo were then clinched in a passionate embrace, while another saw them strolling towards a yacht together, walking hand-in-hand.
Ben later revealed that he was headed back to New York, as he reminisced over the day, adding: ‘And just like that it’s over, bye Nantucket until next year.’
The star had kept his two-week long romance out of the spotlight and hadn’t shared any images with Jackie on social media until Sunday.
Great times! Their witness on the big day was Jackie’s sister (pictured), who Ben thanked in his lengthy caption on the shot
Ben’s announcement in full
This last year has been by far my toughest and most turbulent for a number of reasons that many of you I’m sure are aware of, in some way or another.
The world has a funny way of working things out, many people think I’m a bad person – as I’m sure they’ll be many nasty comments left under this post by keyboard warriors a plenty.
But I met a girl who seriously swept me off my feet and in a time of hardship showed me love, a deep devoted love.
People will say we are mad or crazy or even fools, as Jackie Belanoff Smith and I had only been dating seriously for a little over 2 weeks before deciding to get married.
But when someone like her comes in to your life, why would I wait?
The people who needed to know, such as close family and friends were told before anyone else and they are happy for me including my beautiful X wife Una Healy who I love even more for her blessing.
Life is short and you only get one and it’s worth living. Jackie is the greatest human being I’ve ever come across – she’s beautiful inside and out, intelligent, charming, funny, generous, kind, gentle, energetic the list goes on.
She will be a great step mum to Aoife and Tadhg and offers me a future I can’t wait to explore with her.
My heart is full and I honestly couldn’t be happier, so those that want to bring negativity or try and tear me down go ahead. My life is great and I hope you all will one day feel happiness like i feel while I write this caption. I love you.
I can’t wait to see where our lives lead together you brought excitement and joy to my life and I couldn’t be prouder having stand at my side as Mrs Foden. (BTW the witness is Jackie’s sister thanks you too hun for being a legend)
Una and Ben were married for six years until they split in July 2018 when it emerged he had cheated on her with a PR girl.
The couple dated for four years before tying the knot in June 2012 in Una’s native Ireland.
Ben later confirmed he did cheat on wife Una during their six-year marriage, but insists his infidelity was one of many reasons for the couple’s subsequent divorce.
His tattered reputation suffered a further blow in 2018 after he used dating app Bumble to publicly announce his separation from the former The Saturdays star.
Adding a short introductory bio alongside a series of brooding selfies, the rugby player insisted he was looking for someone who ‘wasn’t bossy’ – widely perceived as a dig at his ex-wife.
‘Heading Stateside in December,’ he wrote. ‘Never believe in making plans, let’s just see what happens and how things go.
Idyllic: The couple looked to be in heaven on the big day as they exchange vows on the picturesque liner
Happy days: Ben joyously stated that Jackie would make a good step-mum to his and Una’s two kids (pictured in July 2017)
‘If you’re uptight and bossy I’m not for you. Getting divorced. 2 little people who are my world.’
Ben claimed at the time that Una was already aware of the Bumble account, and had even helped him create his own public profile on the popular dating app.
Una has since moved on from the breakdown of their marriage and is currently loved-up with her new boyfriend, Irish hurler, David Breen, 33.
The musician reflected on her marriage to the rugby star during an interview in April, in which she frankly described her heartache and sense of betrayal as ‘burning alive while going through hell’.
Una opened up to Ryan Tubridy on the Late Late Show in Ireland, where she told him her and her ex were like ‘strangers’ towards the end of their six year union.
Intimate: They looked incredibly happy in the snaps from their big day as they documented the occasion for their followers
She explained: ‘You meet someone, they’re a stranger, you spend a lot of time with them, they weren’t your forever person. They become a stranger again.
‘I suppose the story is there… I’m not here to dish the dirt and start saying anything bad about my ex husband Ben, but the song is clearly about him and how he’s like a stranger now.’
The star also revealed that she didn’t ‘regret’ her life with Ben because their romance produced their two children.
Speaking further about her time with the rugby hunk, she added: ‘If you’re going through hell, keep going. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel. You feel like you’re burning alive a bit but you’re on the right road.’
Following the split, Rugby play Ben, who now lives on America’s east coast, insisted he isn’t entirely to blame for the end of their marriage.
Loved-up: In another snap the duo were then clinched in a passionate embrace, while another saw them strolling towards a yacht together, walking hand-in-hand
He told The Guardian: ‘At the moment anything that’s published about me is never very good and pretty rightly so because I was the one who committed adultery.
‘At the same time, it wasn’t the only reason for our divorce to go through. It’s not ideal, but we’re very amicable, we’re getting through it, we’re not the first people in the world to get divorced. We’ve got two little kids we adore.’
However, Ben confessed one of the big drawbacks of being in the United States was being away from his children Aoife and Tadhg.
He said: ‘It’s hard because I’m away from my son and daughter. But I know they’re in a great and loving environment with Una, because she’s a great mum. We never argue about that.’
During a recent episode of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, Ben confessed that he is still suffering due to his actions, and misses spending time with the couple’s children.
Special: Ben has remained cryptic on his social media posts, however he has shared gushing snaps of himself kissing his partner and claimed that it was a ‘special’ day
Speaking on the army task show, Ben said: ‘My life’s a bit of a mess. I’ll always love Una. She’s my first love and the mother of my kids. I never meant to hurt her in the way I did…
‘I think it’s quite appropriate to do a course like this to put some perspective on everything. At the same time, it wasn’t the only reason for our divorce to go through.
He continued: ‘It’s not ideal, but we’re very amicable, we’re getting through it, we’re not the first people in the world to get divorced. We’ve got two little kids we adore.
‘At the moment anything that’s published about me is never very good and pretty rightly so because I was the one who committed adultery.
‘It’s hard because I’m away from my son and daughter. But I know they’re in a great and loving environment with Una because she’s a great mum. We never argue about that.’
Until next time! Ben later revealed that he was headed to New York, as he reminisced over the day, adding: ‘And just like that it’s over, bye Nantucket until next year’
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