Ronnie O'Sullivan's mum's toxic family feud with Laila Rouass after 's**g' insult

Snooker superstar Ronnie O'Sullivan appears to have split from partner Laila Rouass, once again bringing to light controversial comments made by the cue master's mum

The relationship between Ronnie O'Sullivan and Laila Rouass appears to be on the rocks again - but the snooker pro's mum may not mourn the split.

Former Footballers' Wives and Holby City actress Rouass recently raised eyebrows when she returned from a social media hiatus amid rumours of their latest separation. The 53-year-old has repeatedly been spotted on television without her engagement ring, leaving many to interpret that means their nuptials could be off.

The couple previously announced in February 2022 that they were no more, only to come back together several months later. And certain family fissures don't appear to have helped their union, with O'Sullivan's mother, Maria, allegedly taking a particularly strong stance against her would-be daughter-in-law.

It was back in 2020 that the seven-time world champion's younger sister, Danielle, told The Sun: “Ronnie has given Mum so much help in the past. But when he asked her for £15,000 last year, he told me she said, ‘I’m not giving you money for that f*****g s**g!’

“She has shown me Laila’s number saved on her phone under ‘the revolving f***y’ and has apparently told Ronnie, ‘She’s just a prostitute - she’ll sleep with anyone.’" O'Sullivan's mother has never addressed these allegations in public.

O'Sullivan pulled out of last week's British Open after citing "medical issues" as the cause. However, some suspicions have been raised about the timing of his withdrawal amid reports of his split with Rouass.

Maria - who once served a one-year prison sentence for tax evasion in 1996 - has preferred to stay out of the spotlight despite her son's sporting success. But an unnamed member of Rouass' family once suggested her attitude towards Laila had contributed to their relationship being soured.

"Ronnie's mum's attitude in the relationship has not helped. She does not sound like a very nice person to me," the female relative told MailOnline following their split back in 2022. "It's probably better that Laila and Ronnie didn't get married because who would want a mother-in-law like that?"

The same relative said "nothing major happened in the relationship" to cause the supposed split, from what they had heard. The pair got back together soon after the split in 2022 but recent reports say they have called it quits again, with the Sun claiming that their conflicting schedules drove a wedge between them, with O'Sullivan having recently become an ambassador for snooker in Saudi Arabia.

Danielle went on to tell The Sun her big brother was "so in love with Laila" and suggested her mother's stance could take a toll on Ronnie's mental health. And the man himself has been open about his strong feelings for Rouass and said just last year how strongly he felt for his fiancee following their reunion.

"She's great. I love her," he said at the time. "She's great company and I love being around her. She's very supportive. I have to behave myself. I know when to go, 'Alright, you’re in charge.'

"But she's also really good at going, 'Listen, you've got a busy life, you've got a lot to do, just get on with it'. Now it feels a lot better – everyone's just in a better place. I just want to see her and her daughter happy, and her family, who are like my family, happy."

Former Strictly Come Dancing competitor Laila was the first to gush about her beau when she appeared on Loose Women in May 2022. Shortly after reuniting with her on-off partner, she said: "We found our way back.

"We just worked it out. . .talking is so underrated. If you can sit down and say how you feel and what you want – when you get older that is much easier to say too."

Rumours have rumbled for some years that Sicilian Maria isn't the biggest fan of her son's long-term partner. And Laila has hinted at tensions affecting other areas of their family life.

Rouass shares a daughter, Inez, with a past relationship with convicted fraudster Nasir Khan. She said all parties - including O'Sullivan - had gone through difficult times adapting to the changes.

"It’s a lie if people tell you that blended families are easy," she said last year. "He’s struggled with it, I’ve struggled with it and Inez has struggled with it. It takes hard work and you have to be honest with yourself and each other. Initially I thought, ‘This guy is not step-dad material.’"

Laila went on to note how Ronnie's rapport with the rest of the O'Sullivan clan had played a part: "He’s a fantastic dad to his kids, but he was struggling with his own relationship with his family."

The snooker star had been dating Rouass since 2012 following previous relationships with Sally Magnus and Jo Langley, each of whom he shares children with.

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