She hinted at a ‘whirlwind week’ after being dragged into James ‘Arg’ Argent’s messy split from Nicoline Artursson and now a source tells heat that Lydia Bright is horrified her name has been associated with her ex’s toxic break-up.
Nicoline, 32, broke her silence via Instagram one month after former TOWIE star Arg admitted in court that he pushed her down some steps while on holiday in Spain. In the bombshell post, which detailed the abuse she suffered, she also slammed an unnamed ex of Arg’s for her ‘controlling behaviour’, which many have perceived to be about Lydia, 34.
Former Miss Sweden Nicoline ended her relationship with 37-year-old Argent after he attacked her. He was handed a suspended prison sentence and restraining order for gender violence by a Spanish court. And, after Nicoline’s statement, Lydia is said to be horrified to now be dragged into the conversation.
‘Lydia is fuming. Naturally, she’s worried about how it could affect the way people think about her – and if there’ll be a knock-on effect on her TV and influencing career. Nicoline is the victim in all of this, but Lydia doesn’t appreciate her name being brought into it.'
Arg was arrested in early May after pushing Nicoline down some steps, leaving the model – who he had dated for 11 months – with bruising to her neck and right forearm and multiple cuts to her right forearm, hand and leg. A spokesman for the Spanish Ministry of Justice said Arg ‘acknowledges the facts and admits the penalty’.
One month later, Nicoline posted her emotional 800-word statement on social media, saying that she was recovering, adding, ‘I felt there was one too many people in our relationship; me, my boyfriend and his ex… I asked so many times if we could be just the two of us, but the answer was a strong NO. I experienced what I can only describe as targeted emotional distress which he allowed to continue.’
The model went on to claim, ‘The ex and her family put us through so much misery and false accusations’, and stated that Arg ‘broke the promise’ of having boundaries with the ex, adding, ‘Her controlling behaviour continued’.
Following the post, Lydia hinting at having a tough time in her own social media post. Alongside a photo of a sunflower, she wrote, ‘After a whirlwind week, this is exactly what I needed…Sunflowers are always the gift from my mum, a burst of sunshine, positivity and happiness.’
Another slide revealed a card with a hand-written message from her parents, which read, ‘We are so proud of you. Keep your face to the sun and keep shining.’
Lydia and Arg had an eight-year on-off relationship from 2008, first splitting in 2011 when their romance was put to the test as original cast members on TOWIE. After reuniting, they split again in 2012, with Arg starting another on-off relationship with Gemma Collins.
In December 2014, Arg checked himself into the Priory for cocaine addiction. He and Lydia then rekindled their relationship in 2015, splitting for good a year later after Lydia reportedly caught him on a coke binge following a relapse. Despite their ups and downs, the pair have always remained close friends, with Arg playing a big part in her life with daughter Loretta, five, who she shares with her ex, Lee Cronin.
Speaking about their bond in 2023, Lydia said, ‘I will always be grateful for what he did for me in my life, and we’ve always remained very good friends. We’ve been through so much together.’ And our source says that won’t change. We’re told, ‘Lydia and Arg’s friendship has been complicated at times and she absolutely does not approve of some of his behaviour, but he’s like family and she’ll never turn her back on him completely.’
Lydia isn’t the only former TOWIE star standing by Arg. After he attended Megan McKenna’s recent wedding, Arg uploaded a video of the couple, writing, ‘I can’t tell you how much it meant to me that you wanted me there on your special wedding day.’ Former TOWIE stars Ferne McCann, Carol Wright, Georgia Kousoulou and Danielle Armstrong all ‘liked’ the post.