In a cruel twist of beloved Big Brother star Jade Goody’s legacy, Jeff Brazier prepares to take troubled Jackiey Budden to court – and it’s thought she will ‘not go quietly’
A war is brewing between Jade Goody’s relatives as a source tells the Mirror grandmother Jackiey Budden ‘won’t go quietly’ as Jeff Brazier takes steps to protect his boys.
In a sad turn of events, Jade Goody’s ex Jeff launched a shock legal bid to stop their youngest son, model Freddy, 20, from seeing his maternal grandmother, attempting to shield Freddy from what he alleges is “a relationship that has been incredibly detrimental to his wellbeing”.
Jeff, father of Jade’s two children, is taking legal action in an attempt to legally block contact between model Freddy and his nan Jackiey, 68, amid concerns for his welfare – sixteen years after Jade tragically died of cervical cancer aged just 27, when Freddie was just four and his EastEnders star brother Bobby five.
Now, a source once close to Jade has told us they can see where the boys’ protective dad is coming from. “I can see where Jeff is coming from with this legal action. Jeff’s looking out for Freddie’s best interests..
“Freddy needs support from the right people, as he struggles – he lost his mum at 4 years old, so anyone would struggle with that. And maybe Jackie isn’t the right person to do that if she’s in a vulnerable position herself.”
During last year’s BBC show Celebrity Race Across The World, Freddy spoke candidly about his mental health struggles and his relationship with his dad, who raised him alone after his mum Jade’s death in 2009.
But they also claim Jackiey is ready for a fight. “Who knows what’s going to happen next. As for Jeff, Jackie has never been too fond of him – so this won’t have gone down too well with her.”
“I have no idea what Jackie’s next move might be – it could be anything’ – but Jacikey’s not going to go quietly. I’m secretly surprised we haven’t heard anything yet.’
They add that Jade’s mum is still struggling with demons, which refuse to go away: “I also understand why Jackie has the hump about all this too. Jade wasn’t quiet about her troubled upbringing. Jackie’s got her demons – she’s not in a great place at the minute. But she’s had a tough life – she lost her daughter, too, don’t forget.”
Jeff and Jackiey have reportedly been embroiled in a long-running feud – and Jackiey, 68, previously referred to Jeff as a “c**k” after she sneaked into the O2 Arena to watch Bobby win his first National Television Award for EastEnders.
Following Jade’s death, Jeff cited tension between himself and Jackiey when trying to keep things amicable, especially when it came to the children.
He claimed she would spoil the youngsters with “unsuitable” gifts that he’d often have to “confiscate”, and recalled one instance where she bought a hamster and a mobile phone for the boys, who were both under 10 at the time, without discussing it with him first.
As for Jackiey, her previous drug-taking has been well documented, with her late daughter revealing she took crack cocaine in front of her mother when she was 20 in an attempt to ‘shock’ her out of her addiction.
But the source claims that, despite her troubled past, Jackie is still a ‘brilliant’ nan. “She wouldn’t do anything to intentionally harm Freddy, she just makes the wrong decisions and lets him get away with certain things that she probably shouldn’t. She’s one of a kind, but the boys will always love her – she’s their nan”.
Elsewhere, a source told the Mirror that Jeff will do anything to protect his sons. “Jeff is a brilliant dad and is only looking out for his children, and wouldn’t have gone down this path lightly. He loves those boys dearly and would do anything for them…and the rest.”
As for how Jade might feel about it all were she here today, our source claims that this is ‘the last thing she’d want”, adding, “Jade’s boys were her absolute world. She’d never want them in pain or struggling in any way. And she loved her mum, too.”
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