Shane Richie, Christie Goddard finalise divorce after 19 years
Shane Richie and Christie Goddard have officially ended their marriage. A new report from The Sun confirms the “EastEnders” star and “The Last Dance” actress have parted ways after 19 years together.
According to the report, their divorce was finalised on July 23. That came just days before the 62-year-old actor was arrested for drink-driving.
An insider told the outlet that Goddard initiated the split after growing frustrated with Richie’s increasingly erratic behaviour. The source said she had reached her breaking point and made the decision herself, after discussing it with family members.
According to the insider, Goddard had tolerated a great deal over the years and had been going through an especially difficult stretch recently. The source noted there wasn’t one specific incident that triggered the split, but rather a gradual accumulation of issues.
The insider added that there is a sense Richie had been working hard and living intensely, and that his behaviour had spiralled somewhat as a result.
Despite the split, the source revealed that Goddard hasn’t asked Richie to leave their £2 million family home. Her primary focus, according to the insider, remains their three children.
Following Richie’s drink-driving arrest, the 47-year-old actress was reportedly shocked by the incident, even though the divorce had already been finalised by that point. She’s said to be hoping the arrest serves as a wake-up call for him.
The source explained that Richie may have been pushed over the edge following the separation. However, they added that the incident ultimately confirmed Goddard’s concerns about his declining behaviour were justified.
Goddard and Richie began dating around 2001 after meeting through mutual friends. They married on July 21, 2007, and share three children together, son Mackenzie Blue and daughters Lolita Bell and Romani-Skye Angel Shelley.
The couple’s split marks the end of a relationship that spanned nearly two decades, closing out what had long been considered one of British entertainment’s more stable celebrity marriages.
