Ralf Schumacher's wife checks into therapy revealing 'old wounds have been opened'

Ralf Schumacher came out as gay this summer and his ex-wife has claimed she had no idea before seeing his social media post and has since checked into therapy to deal with the fallout

Ralf Schumacher's ex-wife, Cora, has checked into therapy having suffered panic attacks in the wake of the news that her ex-husband is gay.

The former Formula 1 driver confirmed the news on Instagram earlier this year and his ex-wife, who was married to Schumacher for 13 years, has seen her mental health deteriorate in recent months. Schumacher is now in a relationship with French business manager Etienne Bousquet-Cassagne.

Cora claims the social media announcement was the first she had heard of her ex-husband's relationship and has since suffered from panic attacks. She has now said on Instagram that she has sought therapy after the saga 'opened up many old wounds' following her divorce from Ralf a decade ago.

She said: "In order to be able to process the events of the last few years, I proactively sought therapeutic help. The experiences during the separation and the subsequent divorce in 2014 shook me deeply and I still have to process these events to this day."

Cora also elaborated on how her health has deteriorated as she told German outlet Bild: "It was a hard day for me today. At first, the conversation with the lawyer was only possible with the help of a therapist. Yesterday and today I had panic attacks and a racing heart because I was afraid that I would be attacked again. The therapy is bringing everything back up."

Since Ralf's shock announcement in July a bitter feud with his ex-wife has escalated in recent months. Cora's anger was evident and she claimed she had 'wasted her best years' on the former Williams driver.

However he leaked WhatsApp messages that appeared to show Cora congratulating him on his relationship with Bousquet-Cassagne prior to his social media revelation.

Cora though has responded and claimed that she only learned Schumacher was gay this summer after years of doubts over whether he was attracted to men, including when they were married.

Schumacher has been backed by his son, David, who told Cora to "leave us alone" recently and also claimed his mum has "mental problems".

Cora has backed her decision to go to therapy as she said on Instagram: "It was definitely the right decision to take this path - to finally experience understanding and healing."