Former football hero John Fashanu has accused his wife of trying to kill him using a knife after she allegedly caught him bedding two other women.
Fash, who played for Wimbledon and England during a glittering career before retiring to host TV show Gladiators, is at the centre of a bitter divorce battle with estranged Abigail Onyekwelu.
And the former international striker insists SHE cheated on him with a woman.
She denies his claims and the astonishing battle – which includes the accusation that he bedded their maid – is to be played out in the high court in Abuja, Nigeria.
He said he had to call in police to protect him from knife-wielding Abigail and was devastated to find her in bed with another woman.
He also alleged that she stole thousands of pounds in cash from their marital home.
Speaking exclusively to
Sunday People the star – who now presents the Nigerian version of TV’s Deal or No Deal – said: “She attempted to use knives on me. It was terrifying.
“My life was at stake, there’s no two ways about that. Even if you did think I was sleeping with the maid, or even if you thought I was sleeping with Miss Nigeria, don’t kill me! Just leave me and go. The violence was just too much.”
“My life was at risk and I didn’t want it to happen again. That’s why I filed for divorce.”
He denied his wife’s claim to have discovered him in bed with two other women – one of them their maid.
I’ve been very fortunate to date some of the most beautiful women in the world,” Fash insisted. “I certainly don’t have to sleep with my cleaner!
This is me, John Fashanu you're talking to. It’s absolute nonsense. If she wants to make up that story, at least let her say it's Beyonce or someone. Don't say it's my cleaner. That’s just b***s. It’s not true at all.
“The truth is she’s been cheating on me with a woman she calls her spiritual partner. I caught them in the bed many times. That was why I kicked her out of my house.
Father-of-five Fashanu claimed police are now investigating an attack on him. He also alleged that officers are trying to retrieve missing cash from Abigail.
Glamorous socialite, Abigail, 48 who is mother to ex beauty queen, Adaeze Yobo married to footballer, Joseph Yobo paints a totally different picture of the marriage breakdown.
The mother of four said: “John’s saying I tried to kill him? Oh my God, this is so funny. I don’t quite understand all this.
“How can I kill him? How can somebody like me kill this huge man who is an expert in karate. I don’t understand how I can kill him.”
She also rejected Fashanu’s claim that he threw her out of his house after finding her in bed with another woman.
Abigail said: “He didn’t kick me out of his house. We were living in my house. He couldn’t have kicked me out of my own house – I kicked him out.”
Of the woman concerned, she insisted: “She is a good friend to me. She has a husband and children. It is ridiculous. She was living with me for a while to get back on her feet.”
“I last saw him in April last year. I didn’t know he’d filed for divorce. He has been calling people asking them to plead with me to get back with him. I would have filed for divorce myself but I haven’t because I’ve been very busy. And he asked me not to because he did not want to make it known that we had separated. So I went on my way and I left him but I didn’t tell anybody anything.