VINNIE Jones has admitted that he fights off the “massive weight of grief” every day following the tragic death of his wife Tanya in 2019.
The 56-year-old star also admitted that lockdown had made grieving even more “brutal”, as he was “locked away” and unable to meet with friends in person.
The actor-turned-footballer opened up during an appearance on Good Morning Britain today as he encouraged other men to speak out if they are struggling with their mental health.
Speaking to hosts Alastair Campbell and Susanna Reid, Vinnie shared: “The weight of grief is just massive.
“More than anything I’ve ever dealt with in my life, and you’re fighting it off every day – I just want everyone to know.
“I worked a lot with charities over the last two years, and other fellas can go and get help.”
Susanna then said: “You were together for the best part of 30 years, not having her there… It would be hard, and then we go into lockdown. What was that like for you?”
Vinnie replied: “I don’t know whether it helped me or made it heavier. I was in LA and I had some great friends around me, but you’re locked away looking out the window.
“Looking over to the couch where she’d be sitting. So that kind of thing was quite brutal.
“I had a lot of FaceTime calls with friends; friends get you through it in the end – real good friends come to the front.”
Last month, the star paid heartfelt tribute to Tanya on what would have been her 55th birthday.
The couple grew up in Watford and met and dated briefly as teens before going their separate ways.
But when Vinnie signed for Chelsea and returned to live in Watford, he found Tanya living next-door-but-one.
The couple were together for 27 years and married for 25 before her passing after a long battle with cancer.
Vinnie has been open with his grief ever since, and previously told Piers Morgan that he will never re-marry during an emotional Life Stories appearance.
