Late Big Brother star Jade Goody worked tirelessly to save up money to fund the private education of her children before her death from cervical cancer.
The reality TV contestant amassed £3 million to leave in a trust fund for sons Bobby and Freddy with former footballer Jeff Brazier, insisting the huge sum should be used to send them to private school.
But the 27-year-old's wish may not have come to fruition according to Jade's widower Jack Tweed, whom she wed one month before her death on Mother's Day in 2009. He believes, without proof, large chunks of Jade's hard-earned money were taken by tax liabilities.
"It would have broken Jade if she'd known," he told The Sun. "She'd be devastated. I've never been able to get my head around it - the person's dead."
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Rune Hellestad/Corbis via Getty Images)After Jade learned the devastating news that she had cervical cancer, she began putting money aside for her sons. Jeff, who split with Jade when she was pregnant with their youngest son, said in 2014: "The first thing she did was work out how much it would cost to put the boys through private education until they were 16. The answer was £260,000.
"In her last months that was what drove her on, even when she was so weak and in terrible pain. It was all that mattered to her. She so desperately wanted them to have the upbringing she had never had."
But in 2020, Jade's husband Jack claimed the money had "vanished" and admitted that as a named beneficiary, he should have paid closer attention. "I don't want to accuse anyone because I don't know the full story but something doesn't seem right. Something doesn't add up," he told The Sun.
"I probably should have been more involved with the money situation, seeing where it all went and making sure the kids got it and it didn't get wasted by anyone. But it didn't feel right for me to get involved in that at the time."
In 2011, it was reported that Jade's money had taken a substantial hit due to a £1.8million tax bill after she allegedly didn't pay any income tax for the last four years of her life. In 2014, Jeff said the taxman wanted more money after it was ruled that expenses and losses from her Ugly beauty salon in Essex did not qualify for tax relief.
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Instagram/ @jacktweed_)"I know it's all a mess. The trouble with Jade, as I know only too well, was that she wasn't good at taking advice. If you tried to tell her something it would go in one ear and out the other," Jeff said, vowing to do his best to keep their sons in their schools.
However, speaking in 2019, Jade's mum Jackiey said there was still plenty of cash left in the pot. "There is money for the boys in a trust. Bobby's private education is still paid for by Jade's money," she explained. "Freddy goes to a state school and loves it – the money would be there if he was to go to private school. There was enough to provide for the boys. I think they'll get it when they're 18 or 21."
Jackiey received £10,000 in the will, while Jack received nothing but her £14,000 six-year-old Volkswagen, silencing claims he'd been using her for cash. "The wishes of my children should be regarded as paramount," Jade stressed in the will, making it clear the children were the priority.
However, Jack later claimed that behind the scenes she'd tried to buy him a flat and split all the cash they earned together - including the £1million OK! magazine paid for their wedding - right down the middle. But instead of holding onto it, Jack says he added it to the trust for the boys.
"I didn't take a penny from her. Nothing. She was lying in the hospital bed trying to buy me a flat. I told her no," he said. "She wanted to make sure I was alright. She knew I was young. She knew I loved her to absolute pieces. And she knew if she wasn't there I wouldn't know what to do."
A version of this story was published in September 2024.
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