Rhian Sugden has revealed she was ‘spit at’ and had her ‘windscreen smashed’ when her sexting scandal with Vernon Kay came to light.
In 2010, Vernon was forced to publicly apologize to his now ex-wife Tess Daly on BBC Radio 1 after a series of ‘disgraceful messages’ to Rhian came to light.
Then in 2016, new allegations surfaced claiming Vernon had reconnected with Rhian.
When Vernon, 52, and Tess, 57, announced their marriage was breaking up in May, the sexting scandal was exposed again.
Rhian, 39, has admitted she has been ‘portrayed as a bad guy’ as she detailed how the sexting scandal has haunted her career.
She said: “I really hope that my 40s will bring a new chapter where the Vernon stories can be put to bed. For much of my life I have been seen as ‘the other woman’ and portrayed as a villain.
Rhian Sugden, 39, has revealed she was ‘spit at’ and had her ‘windshield smashed’ when her sexting scandal with Vernon Kay came to light
In 2010, Vernon was forced to publicly apologize to his now ex-wife Tess Daly on BBC Radio 1 after a series of ‘disgraceful messages’ to Rhian came to light.
If people knew the full story, they would know that I am not that person at all. There has been so much adversity against me that I have struggled to deal with it mentally. It’s not fair to his ex-wife and their adult children; it must be terrible.’
‘I was spat in the face and the windshield of my car was smashed. It was hell at the time and at one point I was afraid to go out,” she added to Closer magazine.
The model is now happily married to Oliver Mellor and shares a son George.
In 2020, Rhian claimed her ‘sexting scandal’ with Vernon had ruined her career as she complained about him ‘getting away with it’ after she apologised.
She said it still “sickened her” that he returned to his presenting duties afterward and that she wished she had never met him.
Vernon promised live on air that he would not contact Rhian or the four other women he was caught with at the time.
Father-of-two Kay has always insisted the messages were flirtatious banter and that he never acted inappropriately.
She later spoke about the scandal in a Channel 4 documentary, Page Three: The Naked Truth, saying: ‘He just got away with it. It ruined everything for me.
Rhian has admitted she has been ‘painted as a bad guy’ as she told how the sexting scandal has haunted her career
Tess and Vernon insist the split is amicable and they will remain supportive parents to their daughters Phoebe, 21, and Amber, 17 (pictured)
“I felt like my career was going up and up, and then that happened. I wish I had never met him.
‘He had to apologize on the radio and ironically he just carried on with Family Fortunes. It still makes me sick.’
Tess and Vernon announced their heartbreaking decision to split in May after 23 years of marriage, admitting they were worried about the decision.
They insist the split is amicable and that they will remain supportive parents to their daughters Phoebe, 21, and Amber, 17.
