The marriage of former Pakistan cricket star Imran Khan and UK socialite Jemima Goldsmith has ended.
Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan has officially separated from his wife Jemima after nine years of marriage, according to Imran’s family.
Jemima (aka Haiqa), who is the daughter of the late British millionaire Sir James Goldsmith, has two boys by Imran.
“Imran and Jemima have ended their marriage,” an official of the cricket hero-turned-politician’s Pakistan Tehreek-i- Insaaf party confirmed to Press Times of India.
The statement released by the Pakistani political party is the climax of events that have taken place over the past few months.
Imran, who has dedicated his life to politics and the building of a cancer hospitals since retiring from cricket, has constantly denied a rift in his marriage after media reports pictured Jemima,30, in various nightclubs in England.
The former allrounder always stressed that the reports were ’nonsense’ and stuck to his belief that Jemima was ’studying abroad doing a masters degree.’
Jemima, who converted to Islam at 21, was officially in England to study her Master’s degree at London University’s School of Oriental and African Studies.
She has, however, been spotted with Hollywood actor Hugh Grant at Annabel’s – ironically the same venue she met her husband a decade earlier.
Differences
Imran Khan gave up cricket in 1992 after captaining Pakistan to victory in the World Cup that year. At the same time he changed his lifestyle, devoting more time to Islam.
His marriage to Jemima three years later caused waves in part because he was in his 40s and she was only 21. Moreover, she was from a Jewish background, he a Muslim. She was to convert to Islam, which she says she still follows now she is living back in the UK.
The two shared his political work, with Jemima joining him on the campaign trail.
Imran Khan became a member of Pakistan’s parliament in 2002 and has been a vociferous critic of President Pervez Musharraf. Despite his high-profile, his Tehreek-e-Insaf party has little support.
Jemima’s high-profile circle of friends included the late Princess Diana who visited the hospital in 1996.
Imran Khan has a child from a previous relationship and courted scandal because until recently he refused to publicly acknowledge the girl, who is now 12.
Comments:
