“Wind-up merchant” Lauryn Goodman has reportedly seen her plot foiled once more after it’s emerged Kyle Walker and Annie Kilner could be set for a new life in Italy, after a tumultuous time in their marriage.
Manchester City player Kyle, who is the father of Lauryn’s two children, is now rumoured to be signing for Inter Milan, following initial reports that he was eyeing up a move to the Middle East.
No sooner had these whispers of a Saudi team signing reached the ears of fans, it emerged that Lauryn herself was considering a fresh start in Dubai. Now many likely wouldn’t be surprised if the model suddenly developed a taste for gelato and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Here, the Mirror takes a look at five attempts made by Lauryn to “wind up” the Walkers, who are still working to repair their fractured marriage…
In the spring of 2019, Kyle and Lauryn had a fling during what was to be a brief split between the footballer and Annie. It was during this time that Kairo was conceived, with Lauryn welcoming him to the world in April 2020.
Then, in August 2023, Lauryn gave birth to Kairo’s little sister Kinara, and initially kept quiet about the child’s paternity. However, she kept fans guessing with a series of cryptic clues, issuing the following statement at the time: ‘Please don’t believe everything you read, had lots of messages yesterday, just to clarify I have not had a baby with ‘another footballer’ as per news articles.
“I know there is speculation around little ones father and like I’ve stated publicly when the time is right.”
A number of people took this ‘another footballer reference’ to mean there was only one footballer involved in the paternity mystery – Kyle. The child’s initials, KW, also sent tongues wagging.
On December 27, 2023, just two days after the Walkers celebrated their family Christmas together, Lauryn sent Annie a text message that threw a grenade into her already complicated marriage.
Mum-of-four Annie was six months pregnant and home on her own with the kids when she opened a text message from Lauryn that revealed that Kyle was the father of her youngest child, Kinara. The message, which Lauryn later shared with Instagram followers, read: “Hey it’s Lauryn I just wanted to quickly tell you that Kyle is the father of our daughter. He’s been having a relationship with us all including the baby & I’ve got everything to prove it. He’s been apart of our lives seeing the children [sic].”
She continued: “I wanted to have the decency to tell you. If you want to speak further we can but he’s been lying to us both. He doesn’t want us to speak. He’ll gaslight you saying why hasn’t she put it out there knowing we have a legal agreement atm. He’ll probably say I’m a nutter or obsessed to get you to believe him. All his boys have known from the start, so don’t trust them. I’m sorry.
“I’ve got to protect myself legally if you need to speak again to see evidence etc unblock me on insta so I know to call you. Or [redacted] could always show you in person. This isn’t a prank or joke. Think back to all your messages. Your messages in March with him, how weird he was acting before the World Cup.”
This came three years after Lauryn publicly named Kyle as the father of her eldest child Kairo. As she did the first time around, Annie booted Kyle out of their family home, but by July 2024, tensions appeared to have cooled, and the couple were reported to be giving things another shot.
Back in October, a spokesperson for Kyle and Annie told The Mirror: “Annie and Kyle are living together, working through their marital problems and trying to establish a new routine. They are both open to conversations around financial security for Annie and the boys and will always protect the children under any circumstance.”
During their child maintenance hearing, held in July 2024, Lauryn claimed in court that she’d sent the Christmas message in a bid “to sort things out” with Annie, and “to calm things down”.
However, as per the Mail Online, Judge Edward Hess rejected this explanation, stating: “This was intended to, and did, cause distress to the father’s wife. I do not accept the mother’s explanation that this text message was sent in an attempt to create a good working relationship between the two women in the father’s life.”
Judge Hess continued: “In my view, this text was written in the same spirit as the series of text communications with the father’s next door neighbour in Cheshire in which the mother sought to persuade the neighbour to record conversations over the garden fence with a view to gain material to undermine the father’s marriage.
“When the mother texted the neighbour to say ‘Ready to finish them’, she had in mind causing irreparable damage to the father’s marriage.”
Last summer, Kyle flew out to Germany to represent England in the Euros – but all eyes were on Lauryn and Annie, who were both cheering the squad on from the stands.
A source told The Sun at the time that Lauryn was determined to fly to Germany for the young Kairo’s sake, despite facing criticism for doing so. The source revealed: “Lauryn truly believes that Kyle will want his son there. She has been given tickets and the flights have been sorted out for her to go. Kyle and Lauryn haven’t spoken since Annie discovered they share a daughter. However, during the World Cup, it was Kyle who asked for Kairo to attend the Euros.
“Since that day, Kairo has been excited. What little lad wouldn’t be? Kairo shouldn’t have to watch his daddy playing for his country from a TV set in England – he deserves to be there.”
They added: “She was offered tickets for the first match and was planning to go but turned them down at the last minute. She knew the focus would turn to her and she would be blamed by fans if they didn’t win, or if Kyle played badly. Going to Germany is not about some daft WAG war, it is about being a good parent.”
Taking to her Instagram stories back in July influencer Lauryn, shared a screengrab of a fan’s reaction to her going to the Euros, hitting back at those who believe she should stay well clear of Kyle and Annie. The comment read: “I would love to know if every other English fan has been questioned about why they went to the game, because there seems to be a lot of hate on you for going yet what is their reason for wanting you banned? Kairo has to miss out because it makes people uncomfortable? The internet is wild, honestly.”
Lauryn also shared comments from fans who applauded her decision to bring Kairo, who could seen holding an England flag, along to watch his dad play. One comment read: “Yes!!!!! F***king amazing taking K to watch the football. A true soldier who won’t be silenced or or hidden away.” Another said: “So, so proud of you for going to that match. He’s the one that’s done wrong, not you. Wish I was as strong as you.”
Meanwhile, in an interview with the MailOnline, a friend of Annie’s claimed the WAG was determined not to let Lauryn’s awkward presence impact her own family time. The source said: “Annie flew out to Germany to support Kyle and the team and will continue to do so. England matches are at the forefront of the country’s mind and Annie and the boys stand behind the boys and want as little distraction off the pitch as possible so as to give the boy the best chance of bringing home the trophy.”
They added: “She has and will never let Lauryn will not dictate her and her children’s movements and wasn’t surprised to see these new pictures – which she predicted would happen a couple of months ago, she thinks these new set up pap pics, on the day of the first match and, coincidentally, fathers day are a sad attempt at staying relevant. The fact innocent children are being used in the public spat is saddening.”
Kyle and Annie currently live in a gorgeous £3.5 million home in Prestbury, Cheshire, with children Roman, 12, Riaan, eight, six-year-old Reign and baby Rezon.
Their coveted postcode means the Walkers are rubbing shoulders with all sorts of rich and famous types – but one potential new neighbour likely wouldn’t have received a welcome party.
In an apparent bid to get under the couple’s skin, Lauryn made sure to get tapped outside a Cheshire estate agent to give the impression that she was planning to move closer to the father of her child.
Lauryn currently lives in a £2.4million home in Sussex with the two children she shares with Kyle – Kairo, four, and Kinara, one. Although the property is owned by Kyle, Lauryn has reportedly contacted lawyers about the possibility of renting the luxury property out for a year so she can make the move abroad.
A source told The Sun at the weekend: “It’s been a turbulent time for Lauryn and she is keen to have a change of scenery, where she can focus on the children. She loves the idea of living somewhere sunny, like Dubai, temporarily.
“Because Kyle owns the property, she has to ask his permission to rent it out. She would need to do that in order to be able to rent a property abroad. She’s no longer close to her family, so feels she doesn’t have any ties to the UK right now, and has loved taking her children abroad on holiday to get away from everything.”
This revelation followed talk of Kyle potentially looking into a move to the Saudi leagues, with he and Annie reportedly keen to make a fresh start overseas. However, a source has revealed that England player is more focused on staying in Europe.
A friend of Kyle and Annie told MailOnline: “You have to wonder whether Lauryn was planning a move to Dubai because she thought that Kyle and Annie were off to the Middle East too.
“She has form for winding them up, particularly Annie, but it hasn’t worked as they have no intention of going there. She thinks Lauryn is a total wind-up merchant and believes it is harassment.”
Meanwhile, Kyle and Annie are believed to be considering moving to Italy. Speaking to The Sun, a source shared: “Neither of them knows what the future holds. But they’re hopeful a switch to Italy will give them the breathing space they desperately need to see if things can be worked out.
“It’s been impossible to do that in England due to the pressure they’ve been under for the last 12 months.”
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