Kelsey Parker has opened up about receiving Tom Parker’s mother’s blessing for her new relationship since her husband’s heartbreaking death.
The Wanted singer died in March 2022 at the age of 33 after an 18-month battle with stage four glioblastoma brain cancer.
Since his death, Kelsey, 33, has found happiness with former convict Sean Boggans, who was jailed for four years in 2013 after murdering a man with one punch.
Kelsey, who was viciously abused for starting a new romance after the tragic loss of her late husband, says Sean is ‘full of remorse’ over the attack.
Although Kelsey admitted that it was difficult to receive the criticism, her relationship was accepted by Tom’s mother and his family.
Relationship Approval: Kelsey Parker, 33, has revealed she has received Tom’s mother’s blessing for her new relationship with ex-con Sean Boggan
Tragedy: The Wanted singer died in March 2022 at the age of 33 after an 18-month battle with stage four glioblastoma brain cancer
The star said she was initially nervous about telling Tom’s parents about Sean because she was afraid of hurting them.
However, she revealed that they were incredibly accepting of her new relationship.
In an interview with Closer magazine, the mother-of-two admitted: ‘Tom’s mother was brilliant and gave me her blessing. She just wants me and the kids to be happy.”
She continued, “I didn’t feel much at all for months after Tom died, and felt like I had lost who I was as a person. I was suddenly ‘Kelsey the Widow,’ but Sean doesn’t treat me with pity.”
Kelsey’s new husband, electrician Sean, was jailed for four years in 2013 after killing Shaun McDermott with a single punch as he waited for a taxi outside an east London pub.
Sean was waiting for his then girlfriend to pick him up when an argument broke out with the 44-year-old, who was knocked to the ground during the skirmish. CCTV footage later showed the electrician walking away from the scene.
Shaun was discovered by police around 1am lying on the pavement with a brain haemorrhage. A postmortem found he died as a result of head injuries, with Boggans given a four-year prison sentence by a judge at the Old Bailey.
Discussing Sean’s past, Kelsey said, “Everyone has a past and Sean has a lot of regrets about what happened.”
The star also revealed that she thinks she has been judged more for moving on as a woman than if she had been a man.
Making a difference: Kelsey recently published her book With And Without You, which helped her cope with her grief by letting her put it all on paper
New chapter: ‘Tom’s mother was brilliant and gave me her blessing. She just wants me and the kids to be happy.”
Continuing: ‘I didn’t feel much at all for months after Tom died, and felt like I had lost who I was as a person. I was suddenly ‘Kelsey the widow’, but Sean doesn’t treat me with pity’
Kelsey previously hit back at the trolling last month when she admitted she “deserves a little happiness” following Tom’s death.
She said her new relationship with Sean had been “really difficult” to navigate.
That’s not plain sailing either because it’s really hard, we’re trying a new relationship and I’m grieving for someone and it’s really hard for both of us but you know what, I’m really happy and I’m making a little bit of happiness.’
She added: “Life is tough and you have to be resilient. I have been resilient and I feel like I need luck now.”
‘People are so quick to judge, aren’t they? It’s funny because if I were a man, I don’t think there would be a problem with me getting into a new relationship! I’ve had some not-so-nice messages, people saying how awful it is that I’m living with a new man, but it’s so far from the truth.’
Kelsey recently published her book With And Without You, which helped her cope with her grief by letting her put it all on paper.
She discussed how she has learned to deal with grief and move on with her life after Tom taught her that life is too short.