Dani Dyer's close bond with mum who feared star would end her life

Daily Mirror

2 days ago

The former Love Island star has tied the knot with her footballer beau Jarrod Bowen, and her doting parents, Danny Dyer and Joanna Mas supported her all the way
Dani Dyer has tied the knot with her West Ham footballer beau Jarrod Bowen at their low-key wedding over the weekend. But before finding her forever love, Dani faced a broken heart, and her mum rushed in to support the reality TV star as she feared she would end her life.
The Love Island alum, 28, and Jarrod, 28, went public with their relationship in December 2021 and have looked loved up on social media ever since. They welcomed their twin girls, Summer and Star, in May 2023, while Dani also shares her son Santiago, four, with her ex Sammy Kimmence.
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Fast forward to July 2024, and Jarrod popped the question during a romantic boat trip in Ibiza. On Saturday, 31 May, they said 'I do' during an intimate ceremony at the five-star Langley Hotel in Buckinghamshire in front of their loved ones.
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Before finding her happy ever after with Jarrod, Dani spoke about a former heartache she encountered at the age of 19, which saw her weight plummet to just 7 stone. Her mum, Joanna Mas, was so worried about her taking her own life that she slept in her bed every night to watch her.
Previously speaking about this time in her book, What Would Dani Do?, she revealed just how close she is with her adoring mum, despite her EastEnders star father, Danny Dyer, being the one in the spotlight.
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In an extract published by The Sun on her young heartache, Dani said: "I wasn't really eating, I wasn't sleeping very well and I'd lost a lot of weight - I was seven stone and really skinny.
"I had no motivation to do anything. My mum slept with me every single night. She said she hated hearing her daughter cry herself to sleep."
She added: "Mum seriously thought I might take my own life at one point because I couldn't stop crying and was so miserable."
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Dani said she used to shut herself in her room and not talk to anyone for days, before eventually going to see a doctor on the advice of her mum. She was prescribed antidepressants, which she took for around six months, and saw a therapist.
She said, in hindsight, she knows she was "feeling damaged" after being in "such a long and emotional relationship".
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During her time on Love Island back in 2018, Dani opened up about her relationship with her mum as she discussed having children in the future. At the time, she said: "I want her to just be able to tell me everything. How I am with my mum.
"I want her to be able to do whatever she's done, be able to confide in me, and for me to always be able to give her the right advice." She added: "My mum is strict. And she's like my best mate."
Her loving parents were in full support over the weekend for Dani's nuptials to Jarrod. Dani opted for a low-key wedding, and keen to stick to tradition, the bride reportedly stayed separately from her footie star fiancé on the eve of the wedding as she stayed with her parents, Danny and Jo.
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The bride and groom and all their guests dressed to impress for the pastel-themed ceremony, but Dani's dress stole the show as she walked down the aisle. The Sun reported that Dani's white off-the-shoulder gown by British designer Suzanne Neville cost a whopping £10,000 and was paid for by her parents.
It was a family affair, as her former Mick Carter actor dad, 47, walked her down the aisle while her two-year-old twin daughters, Summer and Star, were flower girls. Her son, Santiago, who has an adorable nickname for his stepdad, was a page boy alongside Dani's brother, Arty, 11. Dani's younger sister Sunnie, 18, also had a very special speech lined up for the big day.
According to MailOnline, Sunnie shared a sweet poem at the ceremony. Sunnie read a poem from 'Sex and The City' wedding scene, which went: 'His hello was the end of her endings. Her laugh was their first step down the aisle. His hand would be hers to hold forever. His forever was as simple as her smile. He said she was what was missing. She said instantly she knew. She was a question to be answered. And his answer was 'I do'.'