- Nicole Merry is a British actress and former model who became known for her role in the Fifth Element and appearing in Renault Clio TV advertisement.
- She married Thierry Henry in July 2003 and divorced in December 2008.
- The mother of one was swindled by ex-footballer Medi Abalimba
Nicole Merry is a British actress and former model who was previously married to ex-French footballer Thierry Henry. She is well known for her role in the 1997 film The Fifth Element.
She got married to the former Arsenal and Barcelona player during his time at the North London club. But his eventual move to the Catalan side may have been one of several reasons that ended their marriage.
Here is more about the English actress and how her marriage to the former French player ended.
Nicole Merry’s Early Life
She was born Claire Nicole in 1980 in Croydon, London, England. Although her parents’ identities are under wraps, her father is an advertising executive.
Initially, the London native was into modeling. In fact, it was through modeling that she became known as Nicole Merry. The highlight of her modeling career was when she featured in a Renault Clio TV advertisement alongside her ex-husband and former French international Thierry Henry. However, she reportedly quit modeling to raise her daughter after getting married to him.
Besides modeling, she is also an actress. She played the role of a VIP Stewardess in the 1997 film, The Fifth Element. From all indications, this is the movie that made her famous in the industry.
She Got Married to Thierry Henry in 2003
The London-born actress walked down the aisle with Thierry Henry at a lavish wedding ceremony at the Highclere Castle, Hampshire on 5th July 2003. Before the marriage, the two first crossed paths in 2001 when they were both featured in a TV advert for Renault.
Two years down the line, the ex-British model and the former French footballer welcomed their one and only daughter Tea on 27th May 2005.
Her ex-husband celebrated the birth of their daughter in grand style. He marked it with a goal by holding his fingers in a “T” shape and kissing them after hitting the net in an EPL match against Newcastle United.
He went on to acquire a house in Hampstead, North London while still playing for Arsenal. But, the chain of events that took place two years after the birth of their daughter led to the end of their marriage.
Also See- Sergio Aguero And Giannina Maradona- Truth About Their Marriage And Divorce
The Truth About Their Divorce
Reports suggest that the divorce was spurred by Henry’s move to the Catalan club. It was also speculated that the English actress was not happy with the move, seeing it as a betrayal of their marriage. While others claimed she saw text messages to another woman on her ex-husband’s phone.
They both hired experienced and prominent attorneys to represent them. She employed the services of divorce lawyer Fiona Shackleton, who is renowned for aiding Prince Charles and Sir Paul McCartney. Her ex-husband on the other hand hired Mishcon de Reya, a law firm that represented Princess Diana and Heather Mills to represent him.
The decree nisi was granted in September 2007 on grounds of Henry’s ‘unreasonable behaviors. And the ex-model reportedly demands £10 million as a divorce settlement. Her reason for demanding the amount was because she left her modeling career to focus on raising their daughter.
The divorce was finalized in December 2008 after reports say he paid close to the amount requested by the English actress.
Life after Divorce
After the divorce between the two was completed, both seemed to have moved on with their lives. However, the former Arsenal player revealed that divorce is tough, and even more when a child is caught in the middle of it.
He said becoming a father helped in changing him. Before he had Tea, all he thinks about was his career, but since she came into his life, his values have changed.
Since the divorce, he was linked with Bosnian model Andrea Rajacic. Even though nothing much is known about his relationship with her then, it was claimed he started an affair just a few months after his marriage ended. They welcomed their first child, Tristan.
While the London-born ex-model was said to have launched her lingerie line known as Dirty Pretty Things. As per her relationship, she was linked to ex-footballer Medi Abalimba.
According to reports, she started dating him years after her marriage ended. She first met him at a private party in 2019. But, it turned out the romance between the two was motivated by monetary gains.
Abalimba is a fraudster who was imprisoned for swindling his ex-girlfriend, Georgia Steele in 2018. He also defrauded a record label manager, Simon Belofsky.
He made more than £170, 000 between January 2021 and March 2021 from his schemes. And out of this amount, he conned the English actress £50, 000 when he started dating her.
Discussion about this post