BEN Foden and his ex Una Healy have been left heartbroken after their children were refused entry to America to visit him.
The rugby player, 35, is unable to travel himself to see Aoife, nine, and Tadhg, six, until he’s granted full citizenship status after marrying American Jackie in 2019.
Jackie flew from New York to Dublin to pick the kids up but they were blocked from travelling by immigration due to current Covid travel restrictions – leaving the family gutted.
Explaining the situation to her followers, Jackie – who shares daughter Farrah with Ben – admitted she was “a complete mess” and the kids were “not OK” after a very stressful time at the airport.
She wrote: “I currently just spent the past month organising their trips over to the US – getting tickets booked.
We are all not okay right now.
Step-mum Jackie
“Hours on the phone with Aer Lingus making sure their stepmother can bring them over and booking their ESTAs. Ben can’t travel because he is getting his greencard processed and can’t leave the country.
“I take the red eye to Dublin last night. When I checked in at JFK the attendants check on the kids’ return flights. Everyone was made aware of my plans to turn right back around with my stepkids.
“I pick them up in Dublin today only to have their tickets blocked by immigration.”
Lack of options
Jackie, who married Ben after a whirlwind three-month romance, continued saying that their only option now was to fly the youngsters via Turkey or Mexico.
She said: “An hour at check in trying to get them through and then another 1-2 hours stuck in immigration offices only to be told there is a ban on EU citizens and there’s nothing possible we can do other than fly to Turkey or Mexico quarantine for 14 days and then bring them over from there.”
The heartbroken step mum added: “Having to break these poor babies’ hearts, who had their hopes up for a fun summer with their dad and sister, we are all not okay right now.
“Una was a rockstar with them, they were on the phone with their dad. Both Una and he calmed them down. I am very much not okay and I am a complete mess.”
Whirlwind romance
In August 2019, Ben shocked fans when he revealed he’d married New Yorker Jackie Belanoff Smith after just two weeks of “serious” dating.
Ben was previously married to Saturdays singer Una Healy for six years, but their relationship fell apart after he cheated on her.
They wed on June 30, 2012, just after the birth of their daughter, Aoife Belle.
Son Tadhg John was born on February 2, 2015.
