It was a scandal that shocked the Premier League as two players who once considered each other close friends saw their bond shattered forever.
England teammates Wayne Bridge and John Terry were at the center of a shocking row when it was claimed the latter had an affair with his friend’s then-girlfriend, French underwear model Vanessa Perroncel.
While Vanessa has since responded to the claims, it still shook the sports world, abruptly ending John’s friendship with Wayne and causing awkward scenes when the pair crossed paths on the field.
Both players were thought to have put the 2009 drama behind them, but were firmly back in the forefront last week thanks to influencer KSI.
Wayne was scheduled to fight the YouTube star in Manchester on March 29, until KSI targeted his opponent with a critical X, during an appearance on Misfits Boxing 20 on Saturday night.
During an in-ring confrontation with Bridge, KSI said, “Aren’t you the guy who let John Terry crush your ex?” Bridge replied: ‘You want to go there right away, right?’
Wayne Bridge and John Terry were at the center of a shocking row, when it was claimed the latter had an affair with his friend’s then-girlfriend Vanessa Perroncel (pictured in 2003).

Vanessa and Wayne, who shared a son, Jaydon, 18, split amid the scandal and ended their friendship with John (pictured in 2008).
“I’m pretty sure that’s what you’re known for,” KSI added, before riling up the crowd and starting a chant that went, “Vanessa woah, Vanessa woah,” in reference to Bridge’s ex-girlfriend Vanessa Perroncel.
KSI proceeded to add X-rated words to his chant that directly referenced Terry and Bridge’s ex-couple.
Wayne subsequently announced on Monday that he will withdraw from the fight, saying he wants to protect his family from such comments and will seek another challenge in the ring later.
The athlete married The Saturdays star Frankie Bridge in 2014 and they share children, Parker, 11, and Carter, nine. He and his ex Vaness also share son Jaydon, 18.
The statement read: “I’m sure many of you have seen what happened Saturday night at the Misfits Boxing event.”
‘First of all, I think it’s important that I explain why I accepted the fight. I always like to challenge myself. It seemed like a good opportunity to face an interesting opponent on a big stage.
‘I have always liked boxing as part of my daily training routine. I was fully prepared to train hard and have fun. Of course, I expected to face some criticism, but I feel like what was said on Saturday crossed the line.
‘These are deeply personal comments that affect mine and other families involved in the situation. I am a family man first and my priority is to protect them.

KSI made an X-rated dig at Wayne about the matter during a confrontation on Saturday. The pair were due to take part in a boxing match in March, but Wayne pulled out after his comments.

Following the scandal, Wayne refused to shake John’s hand during Chelsea’s clash with Manchester City in 2010.
‘My opponent is someone who many children look up to, including my children. I hope one day you look at this differently. I personally don’t want to get involved in these exchanges. I will no longer be fighting on March 29.
‘I’m still looking for my next big challenge and have some exciting things coming up in 2025. Thanks for all the love. The support has been overwhelming.
‘I want my friends and family to know how special they are. Deep down I know this is the right thing to do.’
Wayne and John first clashed in 2009 when The News of the World alleged that Terry had been involved in a romantic relationship with Bridge’s then-partner Vanessa Perroncel in 2009.
The couple had been close friends for a long time and were for a time neighbors in a gated community in Surrey. Wayne was with John at Chelsea for five years until he moved to Manchester City in 2008.
Although Perroncel denied the credibility of the story, which later led the newspaper to apologize, Bridge refused to shake Terry’s hand before Manchester City’s clash with Chelsea in 2010.
Both players were also egged on by rival supporters over the situation and the pair are no longer friends over the incident.
The fallout also led to Wayne announcing his retirement from international football in 2010, meaning he would not join the team, and John to South Africa for the World Cup.
He said at the time that the England team would be “unsustainable and potentially divisive” with him and Terry among the nation’s ranks.
In 2022, the couple also avoided a clash when it was revealed that they were saying in the same hotel during the World Cup in Qatar.

The fallout also led Wayne to announce his retirement from international football in 2010, meaning he would not join the team in South Africa for the World Cup (pictured in 2006).

Wayne married The Saturdays star Frankie Bridge in 2014 and they share children Parker, 11, and Carter, nine.

John, who retired in 2018, married his childhood sweetheart Toni in 2006 and she supported him throughout the scandal.
Meanwhile, John was stripped of his England captaincy by then-coach Fabio Capello due to the scandal, although he was reinstated the following year.
The athlete, who retired in 2018, married his childhood sweetheart Toni in 2007 and she accompanied him throughout the scandal.
The couple are parents to 18-year-old twins Georgie and Summer.
John had initially used human rights laws to obtain a gag order against the press to prevent the matter from coming to light, claiming his right to a “private and family life” at the time.
He told the High Court that people should have the right to criticize “socially harmful” behavior because freedom of expression is as important as the right to privacy.
The judge said Terry had not mentioned any personal distress and appeared to have “a very robust personality”. He said the secrecy claim was more likely to be about “protection of reputation” and was “essentially a business issue”.
The judge criticized the way Terry, his business partners and Schillings, one of the best-known celebrity law firms, had tried to keep the matter secret. The order was finally lifted a week after it was first imposed.
At the time, the court did not specify when John’s affair began or how long it lasted, but there was an unconfirmed suggestion that it was still going on just a month before it emerged.
John previously admitted to cheating on Toni.
In 2005, two years before he married, he said: “I have behaved badly and slept with girls behind their backs.” I’m not going to cheat on her anymore and I want to marry her more than anything.
But on the day he was summoned, it emerged he had been having an affair with a blonde, and even borrowed his friend Bridge’s £4million house as a love nest.
Her alleged lover Shalimar Wimble, 25, said: “John never mentioned his fiancée Toni to me – I guess that’s why he took me to Wayne’s house.”
Since the scandal, Vanessa has kept a noticeably low profile, although she took to Instagram in November to celebrate her son Jaydon’s 18th birthday.
Posting a photo of her son, she wrote: “Happiest birthday to the love of my life, my son, my best friend.”
‘Today’s 18 big ones! Time has passed so quickly, I love you to infinity. I am so proud of you and so honored that you chose me to be your mother. May all your dreams come true.
‘To many, many more years of adventures and laughter. Shine brightly my love.’