John Fashanu’s Daughter Exposes Stepmother Abigail in New Interview

According to Amal, Abigail Onyewelu, Adaeze Yobo’s mother, is a ‘master of manipulation’, a ‘black widow’ that cast a spell on her dad and ‘frittered away’ thousands of his pounds.

Amal, 27, made the comments about her stepmother Abigail on the eve of the couple’s bitter divorce hearing on Monday. Her father has been embroiled in the bitter split since last year after Abigail allegedly threatened him with knives after rumours he slept with their maid.

According to Amal, John suffered domestic abuse during the fiery marriage. The fashion designer, from London, told Emma Pryer at The Sunday People:
‘Abigail is the master of manipulation’. She has been dubbed the black widow back home in Nigeria – and it is spot on. He was enchanted.

While they were together I went from seeing my dad once a month to once a year. He vanished from his children’s lives. When I called to find out how he was and asked him to fly to London to see me, he would just say he couldn’t talk. I could sense Abigail was in the background, controlling him.”

Amal also claimed her father was assaulted by Abigail around six times and said the first time she met her stepmother, her father had a ‘big lump under his left eye’. Amal first met Abigail five months after their wedding, at her West London home.

She recalled:
“As soon as Dad walked through the door with her I knew something was wrong. He had this big lump under his left eye. It looked bruised, like he had been struck, and there was a scar I could clearly make out.”

I knew I couldn’t ask him about it with her in the room. He seemed on edge. Abigail seemed very reserved and kept me at arm’s length.

I couldn’t see what Dad saw in her. She claims she is 48 but Dad told me she is actually several years older than him. He has stunning women of my age throwing themselves at him, yet he went for her.

It was only after I heard they were splitting that he told me the truth about his eye. He said she came at him from behind with a glass and cut him after becoming increasingly jealous.

He told me, “She was convinced I had been having an affair. All she can think is that I am sleeping with another woman and it is not true. He would never raise a hand to her though. He is too respectful of women to ever harm them.”

Amal insists her dad has never cheated on Abigail. And she does not believe claims he had orgies during his marriage.

She continued:
“I haven’t asked my dad about those rumours, because I honestly don’t want to know. I am traditional and a Catholic. Abigail was obviously good fun in the bedroom, because I can’t think what else she had going for her. But I also know that footballers do those things.”

He also doesn’t need to sleep with his maid, as Abigail has claimed. He could sleep with anyone, so what on earth would he do that for? It simply isn’t true.

He has said Abigail was always around women, though. She has asked him to retract comments that she is a lesbian because she wants to be a pastor.
“He has always had that tough-guy image but it was as though she brainwashed him. I know he suffered domestic abuse. Dad told me she attacked him more than six times, even though he only reported it three times to the police. One attack was with a sword. Another was with a glass.

He also told me she’d fritter away £2,500 ‘play money’ he gave her, then ask for more. He was stupid and senseless but he feels huge regret now and is finally happy and free of her.”

“Fashanu’s first marriage to Ivory Coast model Melissa Kassa-Mapsi ended in divorce in 2004. He also lived with Spanish model Marisol Acuna Duenas, Amal’s mother, for nine years. He wedded Abigail in 2011 but their marriage hit the rocks last year with both parties forced to address rumours of infidelity. Police reports released also showed pictures of Fashanu with a bloody hand, allegedly after being attacked by Abigail. After filing for divorce the ex-Wimbledon player, 52, claimed his ‘life was at stake’ and alleged Mrs Fashanu cheated on him with another woman who she called her ‘spiritual partner’. Mrs Fashanu vehemently denies these allegations. In an earlier interview with the Sunday People she claimed the woman was just a female friend who was living with her for a short period of time and said her ex-husband was ‘sick and needs help’. The 48-year-old added: ‘Anybody can say anything.’ Abigail also labelled claims she was violent as ‘ridiculous’ and said she would not comment further until after the divorce proceedings.