Chloe Madeley 'groped by well-known rugby star' just yards from ex James Haskell

James and Chloe first started dating in 2015 before tying the knot in 2018 (Image: Instagram)

James Haskell claims his ex-wife Chloe Madeley was "groped" by a popular sporting star while he was stood nearby. Madeley, the daughter of TV presenters Richard Madeley and former Judy Finnigan, and Haskell were married for five years before their split.

Going their separate ways last October, the pair had been together for more than 10 years and would often attend glitzy showbiz parties together. It was during a boozy night out in London that the former rugby union player claims an incident happened.

Haskell, an ex-flanker for Wasps RFC and Northampton Saints, and internationally for England, opens up about the ordeal in his new book The Good, The Bad & The Rugby. He claims Chloe was "groped" by a well-known rugby player, who he didn't name.

"I recently had a call from a supposedly squeaky-clean rugby great who was getting up to all sorts of ­mischief in a notoriously hedonistic European capital," he wrote. "But I wasn’t at all surprised, because the same guy had propositioned Chloe a few years earlier while I was DJ’ing a few feet away, and his teammate, another supposedly squeaky-clean rugby great, was groping her a**e," James claims in his book.

Chloe Madeley and James Haskell attend the British Book Awards in 2018 (Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)

His book quotes a source, per The Sun, adding: "Chloe was the only girl present when it happened. She was shocked but didn’t make a big thing of it. There had been a fair amount of drinking. Her and James left straight after."

Haskell didn't explicitly name the players who were allegedly involved in the book entry co-written with Mike Tindall and Alex Payne. James and Chloe first started dating in 2015 before tying the knot in 2018, finally splitting by October 2023.

They welcomed daughter Bohdi in August 2022 before things took a wrong turn. They continued living with each other until earlier this year. It was at the beginning of the year that Chloe spoke of their public split on Loose Women in January.

"We get on better now that we’re not romantically involved," she told the panel. "I’m happier now than I’ve ever been, I wish people would stop writing online that that’s a dig at James because it’s not, he’s happy too.

"Again, can we just stop painting so much drama on it, we’re both happy. I’m happier than I’ve ever been, I’m full of energy, I feel like I’ve got rocket fuel every day. It’s crazy that I didn’t realise that happiness and energy are completely intertwined, but evidently they are," he concluded.

Chloe's dad Richard, 68, has described their situation as a "very happy uncoupling," revealing that the pair has managed to stay close despite the end of their marriage. The GMB star also shared that he still has a strong bond with James, who continues to be a part of the family.

He told The Sun: “Chloe is very happy, she and James are going to France together, they have a very happy uncoupling. It's a very civilised relationship – we see a lot of James, he's at the house quite a lot, either with Chloe or without.

"I go for a drink with him from time to time. It's all good. It's a very civilised divorce. The co-parenting is going really well." Mum-of-one Chloe previously opened up about the reason for the couple’s split, citing their lack of respect for each other. She said: “I think there's pillars that hold up a relationship such as love and respect."

Express.co.uk has contacted Chloe's representatives for comment.