ASHLEY Cain has broken his silence after his ex-girlfriend revealed he asked her for another baby while standing at their daughter Azaylia’s grave.
Safiyya Vorajee exclusively told The Sun of her heartache after learning Ashley was expecting a baby boy with another woman, who he has not named.
However, dad-to-be Ashley has now responded to fan criticism, insisting “recollections may vary” and that he is committed to working with Safiyya to lead The Azaylia Foundation which was set up in honour of their little girl after her death from leukaemia in 2021.
Writing on a new Instagram post of Ashley at a charity dinner, a fan admitted Safiyya’s story had troubled them.
Ashley responded: “Safiyya and I have shared an intense emotional journey together since losing Azaylia. When there are intense emotions involved, be that from loss, breakups or my recent baby announcement, recollection of events may vary.
“What has never varied is our mutual commitment to our daughter’s foundation, which has never been stronger. So I will continue saying less and doing more.”
Ex-footballer Ashley, 33, one of the stars of ITV’s The Real Full Monty: Jingle Balls, spoke last month of his joy at being a dad again.
But Safiyya, 36, claims he had initially wanted to try for another child with her and that his baby news had left her taken aback.
She told us: “I don’t know why he would ask to have another baby with me knowing he’s sleeping with someone else.
“When he asked me, it was the moment I’d been waiting for.
“I sighed with relief that we could reunite and have a family again. It was at Azaylia’s garden, in front of our daughter, such a precious, safe space for us.
“He said, ‘I don’t want another baby with another woman’, and asked if we could have one together.
“I couldn’t speak, the tears were rolling down my face.
“Over the coming weeks I then waited for him to say, ‘Shall we get back together’. I truly thought he would, I thought he was just taking things step by step.
“But then, out of the blue, he told me he was having a child with someone else.
“It was like a hurricane had hit me. I am shocked.”
Ashley’s son is due to arrive in the New Year. He previously spoke of the emotional moment he told Safiyya about the pregnancy and said that she had congratulated him.
Sobbing and wiping away tears, Safiyya admitted to us: “How can I congratulate him when I’m in so much pain?
“Knowing my child has a sibling that isn’t related to me has shattered my dreams of a future with a full sibling, of that family.
“I feel embarrassed. I am speaking out because I need to stop sugar-coating stuff that’s painful to me. I am devastated.
“Because he hasn’t named this woman I’ve had thousands and thousands of messages with people thinking it is me, congratulating me.”