Former rugby player Ben Cohen is happily in love with former Strictly Come Dancing pro Kristina Rihanoff after they got together in 2014.
But their romance was far from easy.
They were dating on the series Strictly in 2013 while he was married to Abby Blayney, with whom he shares twin daughters Harriette and Isabelle.
He and Abby had been married since 2003 and divorced in 2016.
After the BBC series ended, Ben and Abby split and it turned out that he had started a relationship with Russian pro Kristina.
They became some of the poster stars for the so-called Strictly Curse, in which fans speculate who will meet with whom each year.
And while their romance wasn’t easy at times, they’re still going strong.
Attack on ex-wife
Ben was married to Abby Blayney from 2003 to 2016
(Image: Facebook)
Continue reading
Related articles
Continue reading
Related articles
In 2015, after the romance of Ben and Kristina was revealed, Abby didn’t hold back from sharing her thoughts and railed badly in an interview.
She told The Sun at the time: “My husband, whom I dated for 23 years, loved unconditionally and was absolutely loyal in every way, left me for a while [explicit] Russian dancer.
“The last two years have been the most traumatic things that have ever happened to me. He made the filth for me.
She said later in 2019, “I’m not cured, I’ll never get over it, but you just have to do it, I’ve cried for four years – it’s toxic.
“I spent a fortune on psychics because I wanted an answer, but you won’t find one and you keep asking why, it’s the worst feeling when I look back when it first happened to me.
“I can’t even go there mentally, I’ll never get over what happened, but I’ve learned to deal with it and I’ve developed strategies that have helped me heal myself.”
Remorse
Abby later admitted that she regretted her words about Kristina
(Image: PA)
Abby has since found love for her partner David Warner and has again spoken out in favor of Ben going on without her.
This time, however, she gave a much more moderate answer, admitting that she regretted her harsh words.
She told New Magazine: “At the time of the breakup, when I was extremely stressed, I once angrily referred to Ben’s partner as a ‘damn Russian dancer’ to harass a journalist who was molesting me. I regret that now.
“I’m happier in my own skin and I’m not the broken girl who used to be married to a famous rugby player.”
Baby heartbreak
Ben and Kristina welcomed their daughter in 2016
(Image: PA)
Ben and Kristina welcomed their first child together in January 2016 – a girl named Milena.
Abby previously talked about her ex’s baby news, admitting that she “could ever imagine going through this hell” – but she’s grateful she did.
She said ok! Magazine: “It took a few years to find clarity, with ups and downs along the way.”
She continued, “In 2016 there was an announcement that Ben was going to be a father again, which felt like a dagger.
“I couldn’t imagine ever going through this hell – but I did it. And if I can, anyone can.”
Avoid embarrassing contact points
Abby has since moved on with her partner David
(Image: abbycohenphoto / Instagram)
Abby admitted she hadn’t seen Kristina since Ben was on Strictly, even though she lived in the same town.
But she praised Ben for raising her teenage twins Hariette and Isabelle together.
Abby said, “Ben and Kristina live in my hometown, but I haven’t seen them since the show.
“Yet he has always remained a devoted father. When we hand over the children, I sometimes see a bit of old Ben and it makes me sad. But I take a deep breath and go on with my day. That was my old life, now I have something new. “
Beloved displays
Ben and Kristina rarely rave about each other on social media, but rather pose on the red carpet
(Image: Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images)
Although Ben and Kristina are more popular than ever, they rarely pose together on social media.
However, over the year since they got together, they have been spotted at a number of quirky showbiz events.
Kristina already raved about her boyfriend on his birthday in September.
She wrote: “Happy birthday Ben.
“Thank you for being my partner in business in difficult and good times. Although the road is sometimes rocky, there is no one I would rather have by my side, love you. “
She added the hashtags “my love”, “my everything”, “my family” and “love you”.
Back to business
Kristina and Ben now have a family run yoga business
(Image: Dave Benett / Getty Images)
Blonde beauty Kristina has started a yoga company since leaving Streng – but she worried about her future amid the pandemic last year.
After leaving Strictly, she trained to be a yoga teacher and was furious that her new company was not receiving a scholarship.
Kristina tweeted Rishi Sunak in May 2020: “I emailed your office three weeks ago asking who and why made the decision that companies with rates over 51,000 would not receive grants.
“My yoga center is going to zero and it’s a family business! Who decided I wasn’t worth helping?”
Kristina’s yoga studio is based in Northamptonshire and also offers health and nutritional advice, as well as hot yoga, hatha, vinyasa, pre- and postpartum yoga, classes for children and families and those with mobility problems.
To find out more about the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, sign up for one of our newsletters here.
