GERI Halliwell is reportedly “too upset” to talk to “anyone” as her husband Christian Horner gears up for a D-Day grilling over claims of “inappropriate behaviour” at Red Bull.
The Spice Girl, 51, is said to be devastated by the allegations made by a female staffer – but will stand firmly by Horner, 50.
GettyGeri Halliwell-Horner allegedly turned her phone off after news broke of the investigation into her husband, sources say[/caption]
GettyF1’s golden couple married in 2015 and have a daughter together[/caption]
AFPThe Spice Girl is said to be committed to Horner ‘will every fibre of her being’[/caption]
A friend revealed that Halliwell is “not talking to anyone at the moment.”
They told the Daily Mail: “Geri seems to be simply too upset to engage with anyone. Just lots of tears.
“She will stand by him and be at his side just as much as she always has been. She never misses a race and that will not change.”
The mum-of-two reportedly turned her phone off on Monday due to streams of cruel messages online, with fans demanding she leave her husband.
The glamorous Oxfordshire-based couple married in 2015 and have one child together, Montague, aged seven.
The racing boss is also stepdad to Halliwell’s daughter Bluebell Madonna, 17, and has another daughter, Olivia, 10, from a previous relationship with ex-partner Beverley Allen.
A second source revealed: “She is committed to him with every fibre of her being.”
However, the scandal engulfing her husband has blown a “Grand Canyon-sized crack” right in the middle of her “super-perfect, super-posh life,” they claimed.
Another source close the singer told The Sun on Monday: “Geri has been in floods of tears all weekend while looking after her kids.
“She is insisting Christian has done nothing wrong.”
Formula One was rocked on Monday by the news that the sport’s longest-standing team principal had been placed under investigation by Red Bull Austria.
The company has allegedly compiled a “dossier of incriminating material” regarding inappropriate and controlling behaviour towards one female staffer, The Telegraph reports.
Horner issued an immediate denial on Monday, stating: “I reject these claims entirely.”
It is understood that Horner will now be quizzed by an independent lawyer appointed to examine the unnamed woman’s claims at a hearing on Friday.
Sources say the investigation is set to centre on the employee’s concerns about Horner’s strict work regime and does not relate to any sexual impropriety.
An F1 source told The Sun: “Christian had concerns about her conduct and made it clear he was unhappy.
“She went on to make a complaint about his ‘controlling’ behaviour, which detonated this crisis for the team.”
Another source said: “It’s an awkward situation but it’s unavoidable until the air is cleared and this matter is resolved.”
How Christian Horner’s whirlwind Geri romance ’caused family row’ after shock split
F1 principal Christian Horner is no stranger to a personal crisis – having fallen out with his parents badly after leaving the mother of his first child and marrying Spice Girl Geri Halliwell.
Horner’s parents didn’t attend the 2015 wedding, reportedly because they were upset about the end of his 14-year relationship with ex-partner Beverley Allen.
While the family seems to have patched things up now, Horner has also experienced turmoil in his professional life.
The hard-working team boss has previously fallen out with rival F1 bosses and is apparently wrapped up in an ongoing feud with Mercedes racing chief Toto Wolff.
It stems from accusations that Red Bull broke budget rules and benefited from rule bending when their driver Max Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton to the F1 championship in 2021.
And there are now rumours of a power struggle within Red Bull, a battle that could be Christian’s toughest yet
Horner – who is on an estimated salary of £8million – has been preparing for the start of the 2024 season with his all-conquering team of world champion Max Verstappen.
Red Bull is said to want the issue sorted out before the first race kicks off in Bahrain on March 2.
Since Horner took over as team principal in 2005, Red Bull has won seven F1 world drivers’ championships and six world constructors’ titles.
His defenders reportedly claimed the accusations are part of a plot to oust him within the team amid an internal power struggle.
Rumours of the unrelated internal issues within the team’s leadership have swirled since the death of co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz in 2022.
After the billionaire’s death, Red Bull drafted in a new board of directors to oversee the business.
Former RB Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff was appointed chief executive.
Despite Red Bull enjoying its most successful season in F1 history in 2023, there was speculation of a rift between Horner and Helmut Marko – Red Bull GmBH’s motorsport advisor.
Rumours even went as far as to suggest Horner was determined to get rid of Marko, 80, from the team, reports the Telegraph.
Red Bull Austria said on Monday: “After being made aware of certain recent allegations, the company launched an independent investigation. This process, which is already under way, is being carried out by an external specialist barrister.
“The company takes these matters extremely seriously and the investigation will be completed as soon as practically possible. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”
Red Bull’s golden boy Max Verstappen poses with Horner after winning the Qatar Grand Prix at the end of last season
APRed Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz’s death in October, 2022 allegedly sparked a power struggle at Red Bull[/caption]
The star-studded pair live on a multi-million pound estate in Oxfordshire