Michael Owen Wife: Who Is the Footballer Married To?
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He’s currently getting a LOT of media attention thanks to his daughter’s Love Island escapades, but behind the scenes, Michael Owen is focusing on his quiet family life with wife Louise Bonsall. But there’s been a fair few bumps in the road of their marriage over the years….
Let’s get the lowdown.
Michael Owen Wife
Michael Owen’s wife Louise is the footballer’s childhood sweetheart. The pair met in primary school in 1984, and they got together while they attended high school in Wales.
After years of dating, they got engaged on Valentine’s Day in 2004- which also happens to be Louise’s birthday!
The couple were originally set to marry at their home, but decided against it due to regulations. They eventually opted for a small private ceremony before having a blessing at their home in front of their guests.
Apparently Louise is absolutely mad about horses- and their eldest daughter Gemma is following in her footsteps.
Louise started riding at the age of seven. Her passion then grew, and Louise started helping out at riding schools and exercising friends’ horses.
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Louise ended up having an accident on a horse back in 2004 after it reared up and unseated her. The horse then landed on top of her.
Michael Owen’s wife had her back broken in two different places, and suffered additional injuries to her hip and pelvis.
Since her accident, Louise has moved away from riding, and instead focuses on horse rehabilitation. Daughter Gemma is still riding though- in fact, she competes in dressage around the world!
But Louise and Gemma’s relationship has caused serious problems for Michael over the years…
Family Struggles
Earlier this year, Michael Owen revealed that his jealousy over the close bond between his daughter and wife led to him seeking therapy after retiring from football.
The footballer ace quit his sporting career in 2013, but he found it hard to adjust to family life.
In an extract of Michael’s autobiography, Reboot, he spoke about “intentionally” being hard on his wife about subjects he knew would “push her buttons”, including the close bond between his childhood sweetheart and his eldest child.
Michael had been struggling with his mental health, and it seemed that his retirement from football was the tipping point.
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Michael said:
“To my surprise, I found myself standing at a figurative cliff edge in 2014… I had to seek professional help…
For years, because of my own inner demons, I was intentionally really hard on Louise about subjects that I knew would push her buttons most — not least her close relationship with our daughter Gemma.
Let me be very clear and say that none of this was in any way a reflection on how I felt about either Gemma or Louise. I love them both with all of me.
I’d take everything out on Louise, though. I’d accuse her of spending all her time with her eldest and ignoring the other kids. It wasn’t even true.”
Moving On?
While Michael eventually got the help he needed, his marriage to Louise has been rocked by claims that he’s been unfaithful.
Last year, former Big Brother contestant Rebecca Jane accused the footballer of begging her for nude pictures.
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She also went on to claim that Michael had told her that his marriage to Louise was “a sham”.
Speaking with the press, Rebecca said:
“The story that Michael span me was that they were not really married and it was a sham.
He said it was a marriage of convenience for the sake of appearances and to keep their racehorse business going.”
Michael hasn’t spoken publicly about Rebecca’s comments, but daughter Gemma branded Rebecca “the lowest of the low”.
