Maura Higgins sparks concern as friends claim she’s ‘in a bad way’ following Danny Jones ‘kiss’ backlash
Maura Higgins is reportedly “in a bad way” as she faces intense backlash following her controversial kiss with married McFly star Danny Jones.
Friends of the former Love Island contestant have rallied to her defence, urging restraint amid the furious reaction.
The 34-year-old star has been “really struggling” according to pals close to her, as she deals with the fallout from the “drunken kiss.”
Higgins has flown to Los Angeles for a photoshoot amid the ongoing controversy.
She was spotted looking downcast at Los Angeles International Airport at the end of last week.
Despite the furore surrounding her boozy display with the married star, Maura appears to be attempting to continue with work commitments.
“She is trying to treat things as business as usual, but it’s hard,” a friend told The Mirror.
The controversy began when video footage emerged showing Jones, 38, and Higgins sharing a brief kiss on the lips at an afterparty around 3am.
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The pair were seen smiling as they left the London bash together shortly after.
“Danny and Maura seemed to be enjoying their night of partying. They were knocking back wine at the Nobu from 4am and seemed keen to carry on. They weren’t seen leaving before 6am,” an onlooker told The Sun at the time.
Friends say the past week has been “horrendous” for Higgins as she faces “horrific” trolling on social media.
“Maura is a tough character but the reaction to events of the last week has been utterly relentless, and it’s fair to say it’s taken its toll,” a friend told The Mirror.
“She has found all of this very difficult to navigate. She appreciates she’s in the public eye and there is extra interest around her, but the abuse is off the charts, and people need to calm down.”
Sources close to the situation have noted that Jones appears to be escaping similar levels of criticism.
“Maura is getting a lot of the backlash, and Danny seems to be getting away with his actions,” a source close to Danny’s camp told the publication last week.
Jones has been married to Georgia, a former Miss England, since 2014. The couple have a seven-year-old son together.
“She has been an incredible partner so this feels very unfair,” the insider commented about Georgia.
The McFly guitarist’s past comments about his wife now appear at odds with recent events.
Higgins and Jones first met when they appeared together on ITV1’s I’m A Celebrity in November.
In the 2012 McFly autobiography “Unsaid Things… Our Story”, Jones had previously expressed strong commitment to his wife.
“Georgia’s amazing for me. The old Danny, the kid in the sweetie shop every time pretty girls were around, is gone. I don’t want anybody else but her,” he wrote.
Higgins broke her social media silence this week, posting a photo of her plane view on Instagram and writing: “Exciting shoot”.