Riyad Mahrez's ex-wife: "I converted to Islam for him and he left me for an influencer"
Rita Johal revealed for The Sun however that her ex-husband became cold to her after his transfer to Manchester City and soon left her and their family and got engaged to an influencer.
The ex-wife of Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez (29), Rita Johal (28), told The Sun that the famous footballer left her and his family after signing a contract worth more than 186,000 euros a week with the club.
"I can't comment on other people's lives but moving there changed my husband. Riyad let fame go to his head. He changed when he went to Manchester City," she said and pointed out that the footballer's career is short and that is why it is important to remain loyal to the family.
"They should remain down to earth and loyal to those who care about them, even when they go to a bigger club because when it's all over, then they will see who stood by their side," said Rita, who converted to Islam because of Riyad and turned to a quiet life and even gave up alcohol.
However, the ex-husband became cold to her after moving to Manchester City and soon left her and got engaged to influencer Taylor Ward.
"I don't hate him, it's a strong word, but I'm shocked and saddened by what he did to me. He suddenly left me, justifying himself with a lot of pressure at the new club, and now he's parading around with no worries in the world. I loved him, I changed because of him. I changed my religion. I stopped drinking because he didn't drink. I loved his values. I wanted us to lead a stable family life," Rita said and added that she hoped that the two of them would have a stable marriage as her parents had.
"The careful and humble Riyad is gone. He began to believe in his greatness. He had people around him who goy under his skin, I began to realize that he had changed. He stopped asking me how I spent the day. I think I became a boring wife at home, and he had that glamorous life. He just started ignoring me. When I asked him what the problem was, he said that he was under stress because of football " said Rita, and then said that Riyad just went to a hotel one day and left the family.
Riyad and Rita met in 2014 in London and just four months later they said 'yes'. They are the parents of two daughters, Inaya and Ayle. The footballer moved out of their home in 2019 and last year entered into a relationship with Influencer Taylor Ward and proposed in June this year.
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By: Sarah R.
