Billie Piper had maintained a wall of silence when it came to her controversial ex-husband Laurence Fox, but she’s spoken out for the first time.
The former Lewis actor, 45, has been at the centre of backlash for the past few years with his controversial views about race and politics.
Fox shares two young children with former Doctor Who star Piper, 41, and she had always chosen to avoid getting drawn into her ex’s dramas.
However, in a candid interview with Vogue magazine, the actress has shared her thoughts on Fox’s public notoriety and what it’s like co-parenting their sons.
In the aftermath of the accusations, here’s the tumultuous couple’s marriage timeline…
What has Billie Piper said about Laurence Fox?
Piper had previously avoided speaking of their relationship and the controversies surrounding Fox, though she has claimed to ‘know about dysfunctional relationships’.
Now speaking to Vogue, she has said: ‘Of course I have feelings on that, I’m not dead inside.’
She continued: ‘Look, if people want to try and understand the workings of the guy, they ought to either ask him or his family. Ask [Fox’s brother-in-law, actor and comedian] Richard Ayoade what he thinks, or his wife [Fox’s actor sister] Lydia. They might have a more interesting take.’
‘I try to keep people from telling me stuff but it’s really, really hard. I don’t read it but everyone wants to talk about it. Sometimes I have to say to people: “Please don’t bring this to me, now or ever,’ she added, before saying the relationship and fallout has ‘made me feel stronger in many ways’, teaching her resilience and that only she can control her reactions.’
Piper added that co-parenting with Fox comes with ‘enormous difficulty’, and she values her children’s privacy, saying: ‘They deserve not to be extensions of the parents and to forge their own identities.’
When was Laurence Fox married to Billie Piper?
Laurence and Billie dated from 2006 after meeting while working on the stage play, Treats.
They married one year later on December 31, 2007 in West Sussex, and even got matching tattoos to commemorate the day.
They divorced in May 2016, after more than eight years of marriage.
At the time, they confirmed no other parties were involved and that their marriage had ‘irretrievably broken down.’
Laurence later called the divorce ‘horrendous’ and lamented the amount of money it cost him.
In November, he admitted it took ‘18 months to two years to get out the other side.’
While Laurence spoke openly about the break-up at the time, even reportedly blaming Billie’s mother on-stage for the relationship ending, Billie has remained relatively tight-lipped about her time with the controversial figure.
The Doctor Who favourite, now 41, admitted she had a ‘life crisis’ in her early 30s.
The actress said: ‘I think your thirties are a time when you start reflecting on everything you have or haven’t achieved, and where you’re going and what your mental health is like — are you in a circle of repetitive, negative behaviours?
‘Your 20s are fun, wild and without consequence. Obviously, there are dark moments in your twenties, but pretty much when you compare them to your thirties, they’re a bloody walk in the park.
‘In your 30s it’s like, “Wow, sh*t is getting real”.’
Billie was 34 when she and Fox divorced.
Laurence has since been linked to radio presenter Lilah Parsons, Sky Sports presenter Kirsty Gallacher and model Vogue Williams.
Do Laurence Fox and Billie Piper have children together?
The pair have two children together – Winston James Fox, 11, and Eugene Pip, seven.
Billie has since had a third child, with her current partner, Johnny Lloyd.
Johnny – who is a singer in the band Tribes – and Billie met in a North London bar in 2016.
They welcomed daughter Tallulah into the world in January 2019.
Laurence has no other children.
How did Billie find out about Laurence’s alleged betrayal?
News of Fox’s alleged infidelity arose after Honeysuckle, 44, spoke with The Telegraph about her interactions with Laurence.
She said: ‘Laurence asked me out three times. On each occasion, he stood me up.
‘Although the real question is why did I keep agreeing? Mind you he was still married to Billie at the time.’
Following the Foyle’s War actress’s comments, a source told The Sun: ‘Billie was obviously stunned to read the interview – and discover her husband, with whom she was very much together at the time, was wooing other women.
‘She feels humiliated and betrayed. God knows who else he tried to date when they were together.
‘Safe to say, she is extremely happy she and Laurence aren’t together today.’
Who is Laurence Fox’s ex-fiancee Arabella Fleetwood Neagle?
Laurence began dating Arabella Fleetwood Neagle, daughter of multi-millonaire investment manager Paul Neagle, in 2021 and he proposed in December that year while they were on holiday abroad.
The actor announced the engagement in an advert in The Daily Telegraph, stating: ‘The engagement is announced between Laurence Paul Fox and Arabella May Fleetwood Neagle.’
He also tweeted: ‘She said “yes”.’
Arabella, 29, was seen at Laurence’s side as he launched his Reclaim Party campaign and they seemed to be going strong. However, it was revealed in June 2023 that Laurence and Arabella had split just weeks before their wedding.
A source told the Mail Online: ‘Laurence and Arabella had an instant connection from the start, and had great fun together.
‘She was also very understanding of Laurence’s controversial nature and was ready to embrace being a stepmother, too. But as time went on, their relationship just petered out.
‘They’ve tried to keep things private and under the radar.’
The insider added: ‘Lawrence says his priority is raising kids and keeping stability and peace within that setting.’
What happened to Laurence Fox?
The broadcaster hit headlines after making vile comments about a female journalist on GB News.
He made the remarks about Ava Evans, a political correspondent for Joe, while appearing on Dan Wootton’s programme on the evening of September 27.
One of his comments included Laurence asking: ‘Who would want to shag that?’ in reference to Evans.
He has since been suspended from GB News, where he hosted his own programme, and Ofcom has confirmed they have received ‘a number’ of complaints.
Laurence has made a string of controversial statements in recent years, notably starting with his appearance on Question Time in 2020 when he said being called a ‘white privileged male’ was racism.
Since then, he’s launched his own political party, Reclaim, and made a series of offensive remarks about the LGBTQ+ community.
The broadcaster also once said he has learnt not to date women under 35 because of their politically correct views.
Metro.co.uk contacted Billie and Laurence’s reps for comment.
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