Former England footballer John Fashanu has begun divorce proceedings against his wife, Vivian, weeks after publicly announcing the breakdown of their marriage.
The development comes amid a months-long family dispute involving Mr Fashanu, his wife and his eldest daughter, Amal, which has become intertwined with disagreements over his business affairs and a disputed property in Abuja.
In a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday, Mr Fashanu’s management team, led by Gabriel Princewill of The Eye Of Media, said the former footballer sent divorce papers to Vivian last week and that proceedings were already underway.
Mr Fashanu said he decided to end the marriage because it was no longer working, accusing Vivian of becoming increasingly involved in his business affairs, which he said contributed to the deterioration of his relationship with Amal.
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“I was not manipulated to do anything. I am totally fit and well, and know what I want. I think it is time for a divorce because this marriage is not working, and my wife has been getting too involved in my business affairs and sowing discord between my daughter and me.
“My apology for the original video was in relation to how far I went against my daughter in that post, not an admission that the content of the original Daily Mail article was accurate,” he said.
From defending wife to divorce
Vivian is Mr Fashanu’s third wife, and the couple have been married for about three years.
The divorce proceedings mark a significant reversal from Mr Fashanu’s public defence of his wife when the family dispute first emerged in May.
At the time, Amal raised concerns about her father’s health and well-being after visiting him in Nigeria. She subsequently spoke to the Daily Mail about her concerns, including claims about his health and the management of his affairs.
Mr Fashanu rejected the claims and insisted that he was mentally and physically fit and capable of managing his personal and business affairs.
He also publicly defended Vivian, describing her as his third wife, whom he loved “dearly”, while criticising some of the claims attributed to Amal.
The disagreement took another turn in August when Mr Fashanu apologised to his daughter for comments he had made about her and announced on social media that he intended to divorce Vivian.
His latest statement, however, clarifies that the apology was for the extent of his public attack on Amal and did not constitute an acceptance of all the claims in the Daily Mail report.
His insistence that he is “totally fit and well” and was not manipulated into seeking a divorce also comes against the backdrop of the earlier concerns about his health and decision-making, which he has consistently rejected.
‘Messy situation’
Mr Princewill described the dispute between Mr Fashanu, Vivian and Amal as complicated.
He said Amal became concerned about her father when she visited Nigeria in May after noticing that he had lost significant weight.
According to Mr Princewill, Amal expressed concerns to him that Vivian was taking advantage of her father and influencing him against her.
“She discussed her concerns with me during her original visit. Out of concern, she then impulsively opened her heart to The Daily Mail, and both John and his wife were unhappy about the article at the time.
“A rebuttal video was arranged by John and his wife with my knowledge, and some of the content against Amal and her mother really hit a nerve,” Mr Princewill said.
He said Mr Fashanu voluntarily made the initial Instagram video in which he criticised his daughter.
“John voluntarily and happily did the original Instagram video, but he is a happy-go-lucky fellow and can be very vocal. Announcing a divorce on Facebook is not ideal, but John is a happy-go-lucky person who goes with the flow when it suits him.
“He had openly attacked his daughter, Amal, on Instagram, and is believed to have done the same to his wife as a demonstration of his commitment to his daughter. It’s a messy situation, but this is where things are at.”
Abuja property dispute
The breakdown of the marriage has also become intertwined with a protracted dispute surrounding an Abuja property belonging to Mr Fashanu.
The property has been the subject of disagreements and legal proceedings for almost two years.
Mr Fashanu agreed to sell the plot to prospective buyers in 2024, but the transaction fell through after the buyers allegedly failed to fulfil the terms of their agreement.
He subsequently entered into fresh arrangements with other interested parties, including contractors and potential business partners seeking to develop the property or increase its value. Those arrangements also broke down before the proposed projects were completed.
Consequently, multiple parties became involved in contracts and disputes relating to the property at different stages.
The disagreement later escalated into legal proceedings, including a fundamental rights action instituted by Mr Fashanu against the Nigeria Police Force following an encounter with the police over the property dispute.
Another dispute arose after one of the parties involved reportedly took possession of the property’s Certificate of Occupancy, prompting further litigation.
The property is valued at about ₦3 billion, while prospective buyers reportedly sought to acquire it for approximately ₦1.8 billion as the disputes continued.
Mr Fashanu’s legal representatives and Amal reportedly advised him to consider the offer and bring the prolonged dispute to an end rather than allow the matter to remain tied up in litigation.
Vivian opposed the proposal, arguing that selling the property at that price would disadvantage her husband.
She subsequently accused Amal of influencing her father to distance himself from her and accept a lower price for the property, alleging that Amal stood to benefit from the transaction.
Amal has denied the allegation.
Competing claims
The Abuja property dispute has added another layer to the deteriorating relationship among Mr Fashanu, his wife and daughter.
Vivian has rejected allegations of exploiting or isolating her husband and has disputed claims made against her since the family disagreement became public.
She has also alleged that Amal used her father’s divorce announcement to retaliate over his earlier social media criticism of her and linked the marital crisis to disagreements surrounding the Abuja property.
Mr Fashanu now gives a different account, accusing his wife of interfering in his business affairs and contributing to the breakdown of his relationship with his daughter.
The allegations by the different parties have not been established as facts by a court.
READ ALSO: John Fashanu apologises to daughter
Fashanu
Born in London to a Nigerian father and Guyanese mother, Mr Fashanu enjoyed a lengthy career in English football.
He is best remembered for his time at Wimbledon and was part of the club’s celebrated team that defeated Liverpool to win the 1988 FA Cup.
He also earned two senior England caps and later played for Aston Villa before retiring from professional football.
After his playing career, Mr Fashanu became a television personality and gained further prominence as a presenter of the British television programme Gladiators.
Amal, his eldest daughter, is a journalist, broadcaster and campaigner. She also founded the Justin Fashanu Foundation in honour of her late uncle, former footballer Justin Fashanu.
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