Danniella Westbrook said she “couldn’t be prouder” on Sunday as she celebrated her son Kai’s engagement.
The 50-year-old actress gushed that her 27-year-old son and his wife-to-be Sophie proved that “true love really does exist.”
Danniella shares Kai with ex-boyfriend Robert Fernandez. She also has a daughter, Jodie, 23, with second husband Kevin Jenkins.
In a series of photos shared on his Instagram, Kai wrote: ‘Had a beautiful time with beautiful people! Had a great engagement party.’
Danniella commented: “It was the best day of my life. Seeing you happy and seeing you and Sophie make it official. I couldn’t be more proud.”
Danniella Westbrook said she “couldn’t be prouder” on Sunday as she celebrated the engagement of her son Kai (pictured together on Loose Women in 2017)
The 50-year-old actress gushed that her 27-year-old son and his wife-to-be Sophie proved that “true love really does exist.”
The former EastEnders star continued: “What a fantastic day and such wonderful memories. Here’s to you both and a lifetime of memories, happiness and adventure. True love does exist.”
Kai and Danniella have been open about the ins and outs of their relationship in the past.
In 2018, Kai shared how he forgives his mother for her substance issues, specifically when she took cocaine while she was pregnant with him in 1996, in an interview with Daily Star.
Kai confessed that he is “anti-drugs” after seeing the effects of addiction with the former soap opera star.
Kai expressed his surprise at discovering his mother used cocaine while pregnant, but insisted he “likes to forgive.”
He said: “It’s shocking. It hasn’t affected me. It’s a miracle. I like to forgive, everyone deserves another chance.”
Danniella’s only son has expressed his opinion on drugs, stating: “I am against drugs. I don’t touch them. I don’t take sleeping pills or paracetamol. I don’t drink alcohol. I don’t do things that are not natural.”
Revealing that he was forced to “grow up a lot faster” than the average child, Kai shared his fears about losing the actress as he “has no one else in the world.”
In 2018, Kai told how he forgives his mother for her substance problems, specifically when she took cocaine while she was pregnant with him in 1996, in an interview with Daily Star (Danniella pictured with newborn Kai and ex-partner Kevin)
Danniella’s only son has been vocal about his views on drugs, stating: “I’m against drugs. I don’t touch them. I don’t take sleeping pills or paracetamol. I don’t drink alcohol. I don’t do things that aren’t natural” (the couple pictured in 1998).
Revealing that he was forced to “grow up a lot faster” than the average child, Kai shared his fears about losing the actress as he has “no one else in the world” (the couple pictured in 2002).
“I’m very worried about his health, it’s scary because I have no one else in this world,” she said.
In January 2018, Kai appeared on television with Danniella to tell her how proud he was of her.
Sharing a note he had written to his mum, Kai said on Loose Women: ‘Mum, I know you’ve made mistakes but who hasn’t?
“I’m so proud of you, you’re a human being. I know a lot of people have always looked down on you, but I know you’ve always had the confidence to stand up for yourself.”
“I’ll always be there for you, no matter what. You’re also a huge inspiration to me, but at the same time you can be a huge pain in the ass for me. I love you so much.”
Later that summer, Danniella got Kai’s sign tattooed on her wrist with a crown, saying it was a show of love and loyalty to her son after the tough times they had experienced over the past few years, with her son helping her through the worst of her drug addiction.
“I’m so proud of you, you’re human. I know a lot of people have always looked down on you, but I know you’ve always had the confidence to stand up for yourself” (the couple in the 2000 photo)
In addition to the tattoo, Danniella already has the words ‘Family First’ and is next to a tribute to her daughter Jodie, which she did in September 2014.
She said at the time that this shows her relationship with her son is stronger than ever, after years of difficult times in the spotlight.
However, while Danniella and Kai get along very well, last summer, Daniella’s daughter Jodie responded to fans on Instagram who told her to reach out to her mother after she blocked her on Instagram.
Jodie took to Instagram to share a birthday photo after celebrating her 22nd birthday and was met with a group of fans urging her to reach out to Danniella to resolve her issues.
Daniella also shares a daughter, Jodie (pictured), 23, with her second husband, Kevin Jenkins, but they are currently estranged.
Despite the former EastEnders star previously posting a criticism of her daughter, Jodie handled the situation with grace and politely asked fans not to comment.
One person commented: “Reach out to your mom. She loves you and misses you. Life is too short.”
Jodie quickly responded: “If you don’t know the situation, please don’t comment, thank you.”
This happened just a few days after the actress revealed that she is “heartbroken” by her daughter’s decision to “cut her out of her life.”
Alongside several old photos of Jodie, Danniella wrote: “With all my heart, I miss my daughter. I miss so many things we shared. But after the beautiful birthday, I organised her 21st birthday last year. Within a month, she once again had no explanation to give about her life.”
She added: “It broke my heart, but I just hope she knows how proud I am to be her mother. I love her always.”
Her first marriage was to van driver Ben Morgan in 1998, but they divorced nine months later.
In 2001, the star married businessman Kevin, almost four months after the birth of their daughter Jodie. The former couple divorced in 2020.
Danniella recently split from her boyfriend David, a prisoner, after a seven-year on-and-off relationship, just months before he is due to be released from prison.
