Robbie Williams has addressed the harrowing decision he and his ex Nicole Appleton had to face at the height of his fame regarding their unborn child.
Williams and Appleton’s paths first crossed on Top of the Pops in December 1997, marking the beginning of their whirlwind romance.
According to Williams’ Netflix documentary, the Take That star orchestrated their initial meeting by swapping his dressing room label with All Saints’ in an attempt to meet the band.
The pair quickly embarked on a relationship that would last nine months, with multiple break-ups and reconciliations along the way.
Their romance intensified rapidly, with Williams proposing to Appleton over the phone whilst he was at the height of his solo career success following his departure from Take That.
Shortly after their engagement, Appleton discovered she was pregnant, with Williams reportedly telling her “this baby is saving my life” as he placed his hand on her belly.
Robbie Williams and Nicole Appleton dated in the 1990s
PA
However, their joy was short-lived when Appleton was pressured by All Saints’ record company to terminate the pregnancy.
In her 2002 autobiography Together, Appleton revealed the devastating impact of the decision, writing: “After having my abortion I was in shock. I couldn’t believe what I had done. I wanted to kill myself.”
The couple’s relationship came to an end in 1999 following the abortion, with both parties carrying the emotional weight of their loss.
Speaking to The Guardian this week, Williams touched upon the abortion and its impact once more, again highlighting the outside pressures that influenced the life-changing decision.
Williams was asked about the scenes in his biopic Better Man that touch upon the incident, with the singer replying: “How f***ing insane is that?
“That you were guided, nay made, to terminate a life because of being in a pop band. And because I lived through it, you’re kind of numb. Incredibly f***ing sad while it was happening and traumatic, mainly for Nic, but also for me because I thought I was going to be a father in that moment and was happy to embrace that.
“It’s only now that you go ‘what the f***? That’s insane’.”
In recent reflections about their relationship, Williams has also expressed deep remorse over his behaviour during their time together.
“I was a f***ing awful boyfriend, like, really awful, and I was in the height of my addiction and alcoholism,” the singer told Hello! magazine.
After inviting Appleton to an early screening of his biopic Better Man, Williams revealed they shared an emotional video call where “both wept”.
At the film’s London premiere, Williams publicly thanked Appleton for being “f***ing brave” in allowing their story to be told.
The All Saints singer showed her support by attending the premiere alongside her sister Natalie and close friend Holly Willoughby.
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Robbie Williams at the Better Man premiere
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Both Williams and Appleton have since found happiness in their personal lives.
Appleton is now married to commercial director Stephen Haines, with whom she welcomed daughter Skipper in March 2020.
She also has a 23-year-old son, Gene, from her subsequent relationship with Oasis star Liam Gallagher.
Williams has been married to television personality Ayda Field since 2010, after meeting her whilst working on a Radio 4 documentary.
The couple have weathered three break-ups during their relationship but are now parents to four children: Theodora ‘Teddy’, 11, Charlton ‘Charlie’, nine, Colette ‘Coco’ and three-year-old Beau Benedict.
