Man United stars' model ex-wife laments physical pain of divorce

AnneKee Molenaar, the ex-wife of Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt, has opened up about the emotional and physical pain of their separation, describing the experience as being like undergoing open-heart surgery.

The Dutch model, 26, split from the footballer last year, just 12 months after their wedding, but insists their relationship ended without a dramatic falling-out and that they continue to share deep affection for each other.

Speaking to RTL Boulevard, Molenaar described the past year as a period of profound change, explaining how coming to terms with the end of her marriage forced her to confront difficult emotions.

“It has been a tough year. A year with a lot of change, but also a year I am very grateful for,” she said.

The model explained that the separation brought a level of vulnerability she had struggled to put into words, likening the experience to having her heart exposed.

“It was like I was having open-heart surgery and someone was blowing on my heart. That is how fragile and vulnerable I felt. Bruised.”

Molenaar also described the grief as something she experienced physically, rather than purely emotionally.

“It is an abrupt change and you miss something and you are sad about that. You are in pain. I really experienced it as something physical. Just physical pain... that is really just a process of grieving.”

Despite speculation about the reasons behind their split, Molenaar rejected suggestions that a major incident had driven them apart. The pair married in June 2024 after dating for several years, having first met when De Ligt was a teenager at Ajax.

“I understand that people think: something must have happened there. I hate to say it, but that is really just not the case,” she explained.

“We had a wonderful time all those years, and yet last year we came to the conclusion that it is no longer there in a romantic way.”

Reports have suggested that Molenaar’s increasingly spiritual lifestyle, which includes crystals, tarot cards, flower remedies and alchemy, may have contributed to tensions in the relationship. However, she maintained that their separation was a mutual recognition that their romantic connection had changed.

“There is a lot of love between Matthijs and me. There really is a lot of love. I think the most loving thing we did was saying: you go this way and I go that way,” she said.

Molenaar has continued exploring her interests since the split and is currently writing a book about alchemy. She has also studied flower remedies at the Bach Centre, which follows the teachings of British physician Edward Bach.

De Ligt, meanwhile, has begun a relationship with model Amber Yuusef. In June, the Manchester United defender addressed speculation about their relationship after photographs of the pair together in Ibiza circulated online.

“Amber and I are getting to know each other better, and we would like to do that in privacy,” he said.

The 27-year-old has also faced challenges on the pitch, having undergone surgery in May and yet to feature for United this season, although he was named on the bench against Atletico Madrid.

While De Ligt begins a new chapter in his personal life, Molenaar’s account offers a candid look at the grief that can accompany the end of a marriage, even when both people believe separating is the right decision.