'I stared into an abyss called divorce, panicking...'
Michael Owen once sought out counselling to save his marriage and his relationship with his daughter after leaving professional football.
Gemma Owen, 19, entered the Love Island villa this year, and it's all anybody can talk about, with some dubbing the series "Gemma's Island." While her father, Michael Owen, has spoken openly about his daughter's involvement in the series, his 2020 autobiography sheds further light on their relationship.
Named Reboot: My Life, My Time, the book talks about his professional football career and his personal life with his wife Louise Bonsall and their four kids.
He explained that after leaving the pitch in 2013, he found himself "standing at a figurative cliff edge."
"For years, because of my own inner demons, I was intentionally really hard on Louise about subjects that I knew would push her buttons most — not least her close relationship with our daughter Gemma," the 42-year-old said. "Let me be very clear and say that none of this was in any way a reflection on how I felt about either Gemma or Louise. I love them both with all of me."
He continued to explain that he would "take everything out on Louise", but especially the amount of time she spent with Gemma while "ignoring the other kids."
"It wasn't even true," he admitted.
Owen was able to find a marriage counsellor through his doctor from Manchester United and said the "whole process was a revelation."
While it's his daughter in the Villa, alongside two of her exes, Owen has seen his relationship with her under a microscope. Besides the "inaccurate" articles from some mainstream media, he has done numerous interviews.
While appearing on the Walking The Dog podcast, he branded his daughter "horrible" when competing in completion. In contrast, he also said she is a "clever and funny and kind, loyal and decent" daughter.
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