Kelsey Parker defends pregnancy with new partner three years after Tom Parker’s death
Kelsey Parker has spoken out against trolls who have criticised her for announcing a new pregnancy with her partner Will Lindsay, three years after the death of her husband, The Wanted star Tom Parker.
She first announced that she is three months pregnant with her third child last month. While most fans have congratulated the couple, Kelsey has received some backlash from those who think she has "moved on" too quickly.
Speaking to The Sun, Kelsey revealed that she felt "apprehensive" about announcing the happy news because of the guilt over losing Tom. Tom died in 2022 at the age of 33, two years after he was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour. He shared two children with Kelsey.
Kelsey told the newspaper: "Although we are so happy - we are over the moon - of course I feel guilty too. Everything now will always be bittersweet, even happy things because I’ll wish Tom was part of it. It was the same when I went public with Will, I kept thinking, 'I am afraid to be happy'."
She added that her children are "thrilled" to be getting a new sibling. "People online don’t think about the joy it’s brought them. And should they not get to have a sibling because their dad died?"
Kelsey also opened up about grieving her late husband, who she said would not want her to be sad. She said she had been in "a dark place" after losing Tom, adding: "I was so lonely and so unhappy. I feel there are people who want me to always feel like that.
"I think people think I should be sitting at home and dressed in black all day. I have two children, and another one on the way, that I have to get out of bed for. People are shocked I go to Tesco but I need to feed my kids."
Kelsey and Tom met in 2009, when she was 19 years old. They married in July 2018, two years after getting engaged, and welcomed their first child Aurelia Rose Parker the following year.
After his death, Kelsey said in a statement: "Tom was the centre of our world and we can’t imagine life without his infectious smile and energetic presence.
"We are truly thankful for the outpouring of love and support and ask that we all ensure Tom’s light continues to shine for his beautiful children."
On 25 January, Kelsey told OK! Magazine that she and Lindsay are expecting their first child together. She said it was "bittersweet" news, adding that she felt the "joys" of discovering she is pregnant while also thinking that her life "could have been so different" as she and Tom had wanted four children.
"I’ve felt every emotion under the sun. I’m still getting my head around it but I’m so excited. And I know I’m putting myself out there, telling people. I just want everyone to be as happy as I am."
She added: "I’m just trying to find joy. I love my children - they’ve got me through the worst times. So I feel like I’ve been blessed with another.
"If I dwelled on everything that’s happened, I wouldn’t be here. Tom was my soulmate. I’m still angry he’s gone. But I can’t live in sadness. Tom wouldn’t want that."
Kelsey revealed she was in a new relationship with Lindsay, a tree surgeon, last September.
Read more about parenting:
Six ways to navigate parenthood and grief as a young widow or widower (Yahoo Life UK, 7-min read)
Unmarried grieving parents face ‘ridiculous bureaucracy’, MP says (PA Media, 4-min read)
I'm a Grieving Mom. This is The One Thing I Most Want To Hear On Mother's Day. (HuffPost, 5-min read)
