Former England and Manchester United footballer Wes Brown has been declared bankrupt by the Supreme Court, a year after splitting from his wife Leanne.
Confirmation of the sports star’s bankruptcy came last week, in a move that will no doubt stun fans due to his former salary package of £50,000 a week and many appeals of wealth from his estranged wife on Real Housewives Of Cheshire.
As well as showcasing their sprawling £4.5million Cheshire mansion on the hit show, Leanne has spoken in the past about their love of the finer things in life, admitting in 2019: ‘Yes, we have a beautiful life and all this money’.
Way back when: Former England and Manchester United footballer Wes Brown has been declared bankrupt by the High Court, a year after his divorce from wife Leanne
A strong focus of Leanne’s early storylines on RHOCH centered around the demise of her friendship with co-star Dawn Ward, amid claims that she loaned Dawn £500,000 which was never paid back – although this has been disputed on both sides.
Leanne and Wes, who are the parents of three daughters Halle, 19, Lilia, 15, and Lola, 11, were reported to have split in December 2021, and although they have been tight-lipped about the breakup, news of Wes’ money woes has brought the duo to the attention of fans.
Born Leanne Waffell, Leanne previously littered her Instagram account – mrs_leanne_brown – with sexy snaps showing off their lavish holiday and chic wares, but the account was shut down when she shared her anti-vax stance during the pandemic.
She has since started a new Instagram account focused on wellness – and featuring her covid views – on which Wes has never appeared.
Prior to their split, she made her stance on covid very clear, including attending anti-vaccine marches and cracking down on the “brainwashing” government.
What was the lavish life of the Browns?
Broken: The couple secretly split last year prior to Wes’ bankruptcy news
Nice! Confirmation of the sports star’s bankruptcy came last week, in a move that will no doubt stun fans due to his former salary package of £50,000 a week (pictured in 1997)
Low loans
Leanne’s feud with Dawn Ward, who is married to footballer Ashley Ward, saw the Browns’ wealth hit the spotlight when she first appeared on RHOCH in 2015.
It was previously alleged that Leanne had given Dawn £500,000 as a short-term loan, but after six years and an argument, she gave up trying to get the money back from her former boyfriend – also leaving the show in 2018.
A friend said: ‘She wrote off the money – parting ways with £500,000, in fact. It was very difficult for her to do, but for the sake of her well-being, she has let it go. She knows that she is the better person in all of this and so are all the people around her.”
Speaking of the feud itself, Leanne said, “Our friendship has gone haywire. I will never speak to Dawn again. I don’t trust her and when someone has hurt you so deeply there is no going back…
“It was very disturbing — and it still is now. I’ve grown a lot as a person and now I’ve had the strength to get out of the relationship and rebuild myself.
She admitted to resorting to treatments to recover: “I’ve had therapy and I’ve tried crystal healing. I do meditation as much as possible and have hypnotherapy.’
Showing her stuff: Leanne’s feud with Dawn Ward, who is married to footballer Ashley Ward, saw the Browns’ wealth in the spotlight when she first appeared on RHOCH in 2015
Financial reflections
Leanne has often spoken of the family’s comfortable finances at the time, even providing insight into her most indulgent purchase.
She admitted to spending £2,000 on a jumpsuit, but admitted she would make certain purchases from her husband – if she ‘exceeded a certain amount’.
Happy days: Leanne has often spoken about the family’s comfortable finances at the time, even giving an insight into her most indulgent purchase
She said, ‘I wouldn’t go out and buy something without telling him if it’s over a certain amount. I am so good. I’m calling Wes to get his permission.’
In addition to discussing their money, Leanne also spoke about her past as a stripper, as she defiantly stated in 2016, “It’s no secret. And it’s not something I’m ashamed of.”
In her introduction to the show, Leanne said, “I married a footballer, I live in a pretty big house, I’d say it worked out well.”
Leanne told the Manchester Evening News about their relationship and dealings with football fans in 2019: ‘Yes we have a beautiful life and all this money and I’m not saying the money isn’t great but when you’re in it you’re living in this bubble.
While the fans can be great, they can also be very cruel. It will surely be difficult [for footballers] to deal with being on top one minute and hating a bad kick or missing the target the next.
“We are the ones left to pick up the pieces and bear the brunt of what is left at the end of their careers.
‘Sometimes it’s hard to be alone a lot. The boys are away a lot, especially if they are involved with a well-known club and also as an England international.’
A vision: Wes has teased his sprawling mansion in the past
Homely things
The couple has often showcased their beautiful home on social media.
In 2016, the couple lowered the asking price for their home, a country house in Prestbury, Cheshire, to £2.4 million after it went on the market six years earlier for £4.5 million.
The expansive property is complete with a swimming pool and open plan living area.
Showing off her stuff: Leanne often shared stunning snaps of their chic outings
It’s a WAG world
In 2022, she talked about getting caught up in the world of WAGs on RHOCH, saying, “I understand they wanted to show women in business…
“There are successful businesswomen on the show. Everything was so materialized, to me it was the Cheshire bubble in a way.
“Even the WAG thing and I was on that for so long, the latest bags… and I’ve spoken openly and been honest, the turning point for me was, it was the exploitation of wealth…
“The show abused wealth and people want to see that because they get away from their own reality and get sucked into someone else’s life…
“Then they feel like they have a right to rip you off if you disagree with something or if you’re just being a little too showy.
“You can’t win because you can’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Leaving the show was a huge turnaround for me, getting involved with charity, going to Kenya and seeing how the other side of the world lives, it’s so humbling.”
It’s love: They tied the knot at a lavish event at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire in 2009, during an extremely lavish wedding – in which Wes’s rings were delivered by an owl
Epic weddings
They tied the knot at a lavish event at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire in 2009, during an extremely lavish wedding – with Wes’ rings being delivered by an owl.
Unfortunately, despite the idyllic wedding, the couple has now broken up as announced last year.
A source told The Sun at the time: “Wes and Leanne broke up before Christmas [2021]. No third parties were involved; it’s just a sad fact that their marriage has run its course.
‘Leanne has thrived in bachelor life and has taken off her wedding ring. She has told people that she feels free and works hard at her business and is thriving as an independent woman.
“Wes, meanwhile, carries on as best he can. There have been rumors of problems in their marriage for some time, but they have put on a brave face in public.’
The source added that the former couple is doing their best to raise their children together and lead separate lives.
Driving along
Like many footballers, Wes seems to have tasted the finer things in life and in 2007 he was spied parking his £100,000 Bentley Continental on double yellow.
The fancy car is one of many cars the football ace has been spied on.
He also boasted a Range Rover, Audi and Porsche.
Slick: Like many footballers, it seems Wes tastes the finer things in life and in 2007 he was spied parking his £100,000 Bentley Continental on double yellow
Nice! He drove around in a Porsche