She’s been putting on a united front with her husband Christian Horner for the cameras but, behind the scenes, Geri Horner is “laying down the law” in a bid to keep their marriage going. The former Spice Girl was all smiles as she supported her under-fire F1 boss husband at the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grand Prix races, which were being filmed for a Netflix docu-series, in the wake of his alleged “sexting” scandal.
A source tells Closer, “While Geri is quietly continuing to stand by Christian and show unity in public, behind closed doors she is very much setting firm boundaries to protect herself if this all blows up in her face.
“Geri’s created a list of strict marriage rules for her husband to adhere to in the wake of the scandal, which include having no contact whatsoever with any female colleagues via phone, sharing passwords with her, sticking to a curfew which will have him home every evening where possible, as well as opening up for honest and frank conversations.”
The source continues, “Christian was initially hurt by the idea of a list of rules and said it felt like her showing distrust, which sparked a bit of a row. She insisted that while she still loves him, she has to protect herself and urged him to put himself in her shoes to understand the torment she’s endured with the public humiliation and embarrassment.
“Christian eventually backed down and has agreed to do whatever it takes to put Geri’s mind at ease, vowing to restore the trust between them.”
Geri and Christian’s eight- year marriage was rocked when he was accused of “coercive behaviour towards a female employee” last month. Despite being cleared of wrongdoing, there was further humiliation for the singer when a series of inappropriate messages were leaked over social media. The Red Bull racing boss, 50, has insisted his innocence, saying, “I have always denied the allegations.”
And while he’s agreed to abide by her rules, Geri – who has son Monty, seven, with Christian – has a back-up plan in place. “While Geri’s felt easier over the last few days with her new rulebook in place, she’s still in self-protect mode. While she’s sticking by Christian for now, their marriage is still very much hanging in the balance.”
A further source told Closer that Geri, 51, wants more transparency in their relationship. “Geri isn’t walking away but she is insisting on getting to the bottom of everything – while she decides if she wants to save her marriage and make it work, she’ll keep Christian on a tight leash.”
Words by Shereen Low