Former England international and television personality John Fashanu has publicly denied allegations made about him by his daughter, Amal, describing the claims as false and misleading.
The former football star, who also gained fame as host of the popular television show Gladiators, said he had removed his daughter from his company after what he described as repeated violations of trust and personal boundaries.
Fashanu made the remarks in a statement made available to Daily Sun, where he responded to claims reportedly published in a recent article by the Daily Mail.
The former Wimbledon striker denied several allegations attributed to Amal, including claims that she regularly visited him in Nigeria, managed his personal and professional affairs, and that he had suffered brain injuries from heading footballs during his career.
He also dismissed reports suggesting he had been married five times, insisting he had only been married three times and remains happily married to his current wife, Vivian Fashanu.
According to him, Amal may have mistakenly counted her mother among his former wives even though he was never married to her.
The dispute has drawn attention because of Fashanu’s long-standing public profile both in football and entertainment circles.
Fashanu enjoyed a successful football career in England during the 1980s and 1990s, playing for clubs including Wimbledon F.C., where he became part of the famous “Crazy Gang” team that won the FA Cup in 1988.
After retiring from football, he became a television presenter and gained international recognition as co-host of Gladiators, one of Britain’s most popular television programmes in the 1990s.
Over the years, Fashanu has maintained close ties with Nigeria and has often been involved in business, sports and social activities in the country.
In his latest statement, however, the former footballer strongly rejected suggestions that Amal had been closely involved in his affairs.
“I want to address some of the claims recently made in the media by my daughter Amal and published in The Daily Mail a few days ago, they are simply false,” he stated.
According to him, Amal only recently visited him in Nigeria for the first time.
“Contrary to what has been suggested, Amal has not been visiting Nigeria every three months or seeing me every weekend. In fact, she visited me in Nigeria for the first time ever only two weeks ago to introduce a man she said was her husband,” he said.
Fashanu stressed that his daughter was neither managing his business interests nor overseeing any of his personal affairs.
“She is not in charge of any of my affairs or properties, neither have I bequeathed any to her,” he added.
The former footballer also denied claims relating to his health, especially suggestions that he had suffered injuries linked to heading footballs during his playing career.
In recent years, concerns over brain injuries and dementia among former footballers have become a major issue in Europe, with studies linking repeated heading of footballs to neurological conditions later in life.
Some former players and their families have launched legal actions against football authorities over the issue.
However, Fashanu insisted no such condition affects him.
“I also want to make clear that I have not suffered injuries from heading footballs, nor do I have any medical condition of the kind implied in her recent reports. This is false information, and I am perfectly fine,” he stated.
The former footballer also used the opportunity to address reports concerning his marital history.
“It is also wholly untrue to suggest that I have had five wives. I have only ever married three women, and I’m currently with my third wife, Vivian Fashanu, whom I love dearly,” he said.
Despite his strong criticism of Amal’s claims, Fashanu acknowledged that family issues surrounding her mother may still have emotional effects on his daughter.
“That said, I also understand that my daughter may still carry emotional hurt from the fact that I did not marry her mother, and I recognise how complex and sensitive such emotions can be for children,” he explained.
He added that he had always tried to maintain communication with his children whenever possible.
“For this reason, I have always tried, to the best of my ability, to maintain communication with and visit my children whenever possible,” he said.
Fashanu also denied an earlier report published in 2023 by UK tabloid newspaper The Sun, which claimed Amal once acted as his agent before being sidelined.
According to him, Amal had never represented him professionally in any capacity.
“Amal has never acted as my agent in relation to Dancing on Ice or any other professional matter, and she has not been managing my personal or professional affairs in any capacity,” he stated.
He explained that he already has a trusted management team handling his affairs and that his wife works well with them.
The former footballer further disclosed that his wife recently made Amal a director and shareholder in one of his companies in an attempt to strengthen family ties.
However, he claimed the gesture was later abused, leading to his decision to distance himself from his daughter.
“While I will always love my daughter, there have unfortunately been repeated situations where personal boundaries have not been respected and for that reason, I believe it is healthiest for me to maintain some distance from her at this time,” he said.
He also questioned Amal’s motives for making the allegations public.
“I don’t know what she stands to gain by behaving in this unadmirable manner,” he added.
Fashanu further revealed that he is considering legal action against the Daily Mail over the publication.
According to him, the newspaper failed to contact him to verify the allegations before publishing the story.
He said he also plans to report the matter to the UK media regulator.
“I will be carefully considering a defamation claim against The Daily Mail for this distressing article and reporting this to the UK press regulator too. Nobody contacted me to verify the facts surrounding the claims before publishing them,” he stated.
The former footballer said the past year had been difficult for him due to ongoing legal disputes involving land matters and other court cases.
Despite the challenges, he maintained that he remained active in several business and personal projects.
The public disagreement between Fashanu and his daughter has since attracted reactions on social media, with many expressing sadness over the family dispute while others called for reconciliation between both parties.