Coleen Nolan has broken her silence after being accused of being a “cruel bully” by her son Shane Nolan’s ex, Emma Kivell, in an escalating family dispute centred around their daughter Amelia-Rose.
The Loose Women star has strongly denied the allegations through her representatives after Emma claimed Coleen had called her “every name under the sun” and had at one point been unwilling to visit her home to see granddaughter Amelia-Rose.
Emma and Shane met through mutual friends in 2015 and welcomed Amelia-Rose the following year. Although they were never in a relationship, Shane had reportedly promised to support Emma as a single mother after their daughter was born, with Coleen even said to have been present at the birth.
But the relationship between the families appears to have broken down badly over the years. Emma alleged that Coleen had stopped seeing Amelia-Rose for a period because she “was not willing to go to my house,” and claimed the situation contributed to her suffering a breakdown. She also told The Sun that Coleen would call her names including “you jealous b***h” and described her behaviour as “vile.”
Coleen, however, has now responded firmly. In a statement issued to the Mirror, her spokesperson said: “Our client strongly disputes the allegations, which are inaccurate and misleading.” The statement continued: “They are presented without the necessary context and arise from a contested private family matter. It is inappropriate to report on such matters, particularly where doing so risks involving a child.”
The bitter dispute is not new. Emma had previously lashed out at what she described as the Nolan family’s “toxicity and pettiness,” while also accusing Shane of failing to make any meaningful effort to be part of Amelia-Rose’s life. After Shane publicly stated on social media that he had been paying child maintenance and had even increased his contributions after struggling during the pandemic, Emma hit back by claiming support had only resumed because of court enforcement.
She also alleged Shane had “never asked how she is, how she’s doing, if she needs anything,” and said he had not even sent a message during the height of COVID. Emma further claimed Shane was later blocked from seeing his daughter because of breaches of court orders.
Despite the ongoing row, Shane insisted publicly last year: “I would never not pay. We miss her and can’t wait for one day for her to be in our lives.”
The family story has become even more complicated as life has moved on for everyone involved. Shane is now in a new relationship with mortgage manager Kimberley Sallis, who has a daughter of her own, and the pair welcomed a baby boy together last November. Coleen has also since become a grandmother again through other members of her family, including daughter Ciara Fensome, who welcomed a baby boy last October.
Years earlier, when speaking about becoming a grandmother for the first time, Coleen admitted the circumstances around Amelia-Rose’s arrival had not been conventional. She said: “They got together one night and there you go.” But she added that despite the unexpected situation, she had been thrilled, saying: “Oh my God I’m going to be a nanny,” and describing her mix of “love, pride, relief, happiness” at the time.
Now, with both sides publicly trading painful accusations, the once-private family fallout has become an increasingly emotional and deeply personal battle — one Coleen is clearly no longer willing to stay silent about.
