As Lauryn Goodman poses for a sweet festive photo shoot, she gently tickles her children and they erupt into giggles, their eyes twinkling in the lights. It’s a lovely moment, and as they laugh around the tree, Lauryn says that she hopes to put this difficult year behind her and enjoy the magic of Christmas.
The model and influencer, mum to Kairo, four, and Kinara, one, with Man City and England footballer Kyle Walker, has been the subject of intense media interest this year. The pair welcomed son Kairo while Kyle was separated from his now-wife in 2019, but it was revealed in January that Kyle was also father to Kinara, who was born last year. The news made headlines up and down the country, with disgraced Kyle publicly apologising to his wife, with whom he shares four children.
Then this summer, Lauryn, 33, had a very public court battle to determine the financial support she receives from Kyle – who earns £175,000 a week – for their children. And since his paternity was made public (which Lauryn says was without her knowledge or consent) at the beginning of this year, Lauryn says Kyle, 34, hasn’t seen the children they share, despite previously being part of their lives. Understandably, the whole situation has taken a toll her on her mental health.
‘This past year has been very tough,’ she reflects. ‘It’s crazy to think this time last year the fallout hadn’t even begun. We had agreed to deal with it privately for the children, but it’s not been that way. It’s been emotionally draining and hard for me to manage the change for the children, too.’
She adds, ‘The hardest part is when Kairo cries for his daddy. I don’t know what to say because I don’t want to say anything negative about his dad. There are no excuses, the children are innocent and they should come first.’
Throughout the year, Lauryn has been relentlessly trolled, branded a ‘homewrecker' and a ‘gold digger’. But she explains that she copes by shielding herself from it as much as possible.
She says, 'At the end of the day, it’s a complicated situation and I know the truth of what happened. I don’t read comments on any of the trolling sites and anyone who trolls me on my Instagram gets blocked, so then I don’t have to see it. It’s just how I handle things.’
At the height of the media attention last summer, Lauryn appeared on Channel 4’s Celebs Go Dating – where experts help single celebrities find love – hoping to get back into the dating world.
She says, ‘It was daunting to begin with, but filming was very fun and the production team made me feel so welcome. It was lovely to meet new people, but it was hard to focus on the dating because of everything going on in my personal life at the time.’
She says that while she is ready for a fresh start, she’s in no rush to meet someone new off-camera either. She says, ‘I did start dating again, but the timing is difficult. My children are my priority, and they have so many after-school activities that I am forever playing Uber!’
When the topic of more children comes up, Lauryn insists that it’s not on her radar. ‘Everyone always asks me this!’ she laughs. ‘I felt content with Kairo and then Kinara came along. They are both so special and having one of each is perfect for me.’
Lauryn poses for these festive photos at her home in Sussex, a £2.5 million five-bedroom pad that Kyle purchased earlier this year for their children to live in. She has spent the past few months transforming it into a family home with the help of interior designer Mel Blyth – who has also styled her Christmas decorations this year.
‘I have loved making this house a home,’ she smiles. ‘I wanted it to be stylish, but also child friendly. I’ve had a games room designed for the kids, Kairo has a pool table and Kinara a play kitchen. There is also space for any future trophies the children achieve – they both love football!’
This Christmas will be a family affair for Lauryn, who will be spending it with her mum, grandparents and her children. She explains, ‘We’ll be at home on Christmas Day, opening presents and eating amazing food. My mum and I will do the cooking while the kids enjoy playing with their new toys. Kairo has asked Santa for another football goal, as he has outgrown his, and a Spider-Man car!’
She’s determined to make their Christmas as magical as possible and has lots of plans in the run up to the big day.
‘We’re going to Lapland UK and Tulley’s to see the light show. I’ve got us all matching pyjamas from Mommy and Minis, which we’ll wear on Christmas Eve. I also want to start a tradition of baking cookies to leave out for Santa. I love creating memories with them and seeing their faces light up – it means everything to me.’
When it comes to the future, Lauryn hopes to reconcile with Kyle one day for the sake of their children. She says, ‘I’m hopeful their dad will come back to them and continue to build his relationship with them. I hope for Kyle’s sake it is sooner rather than later, because Kairo is starting to understand now. He asks for his daddy and he’s starting to realise that maybe it’s his choice [not to be around]. I always say that Daddy is busy playing football, but he’s not believing my excuses anymore.'
She adds, ‘I hope we can all just move forward and do what’s right by all the children. I have faith and hope that bridges will be built for the sake of Kairo and Kinara, because at the end of the day, we share two wonderful children together and life is just too short.’
Lauryn designed her home with Mel Blyth from blythdesigns.com and the cabinetry for the games room was supplied by kitchendesign4you.co.uk. Bespoke furniture is from luxurahome.co.uk.