JUST a few days ago, Martine McCutcheon posted a great message to her “dear Jack” in which she declared: “I love you unconditionally and I just wish I could make everything better.”
While more than 16,400 fans on Instagram liked the long and rambling message of support, her husband was not one of them.
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Martine McCutcheon was on the verge of global superstardom before a decade of death and bankruptcyCredit: Alan Strutt
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Martine has had bad luck since marrying Jack McManus Credit: Instagram
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The actress was forced to publicly state that Jack had ‘decided’ to end their troubled 12-year marriageCredit: Instagram
And on Thursday, the actress was forced to say publicly that Jack McManus, 40, had “decided” to end their troubled 12-year marriage, adding: “I accept his decision.”
The split is the latest blow for Martine, 48, who has been plagued by bad luck since marrying the songwriter and father of their nine-year-old son Rafferty.
She had the world at her feet before they met, having won the hearts of the nation for four years playing doomed single mother Tiffany Mitchell in EastEnders.
After leaving the BBC One soap, she had a No. 1 single in 1999 with This Is My Moment, and her portrayal of Eliza Doolittle in the West End production of My Fair Lady won her an Olivier Award in 2002.
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And she was to become a major star in Tinseltown after playing Natalie, the Downing Street tea lady who caught the eye of the prime minister in the 2003 film comedy Love Actually, with Hugh Grant playing the lovelorn prime minister.
Agents kept meeting with Hollywood film producers, but she never made it to the very top.
Instead, she has spent the past 15 years battling chronic illness, heartbreaking miscarriages, family tragedies and bankruptcy, while acting work dried up and her record company dropped her.
‘There will be a horse’s head in our bed’
Jack and Martine first met at a live music event in London, and she once recalled: “We saw each other and that was it.
“When we met, something very beautiful happened.
“I thought that when I met The One, I would shout it from the rooftops, because that’s the kind of person I am. But it was like a quiet pleasure.
Martine McCutcheon announced her divorce from her husband of 18 years
“It was so peaceful and warm, and I felt, for once, that I didn’t need to brag. I think he felt the same way.”
Martine also insisted that the eight-year age difference between them was not an issue, revealing: “All the women in my family have dated or are with younger men.
“We are all very lively and have a real zest for life.
“I mostly forget about the age difference.
“If anything, I’m the one who says, ‘Yeah, let’s do this, let’s do that,’ and Jack’s the one who reins me in and says, ‘It’s time to go home.'”
In 2012, five years after they met, they tied the knot in a glitzy wedding on the shores of Lake Como in Italy — but it wasn’t without drama either.
Jack later revealed that the happy couple had “hidden costs” and had to raise “thousands” from the mob to set off the fireworks on the lake.
When the mobsters discovered they had sold the rights to the photos of the big day to a magazine, they demanded more cash, which Jack refused to pay, leaving Martine fearing for her life.
She said: “I said, ‘Oh my God, there’s going to be a dead horse’s head in our bed!’ I was petrified.
“I thought, ‘Don’t stand your ground now, Jack. Please be quiet’. But he wouldn’t make another donation.”
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Martine was set to become a Tinseltown star after playing Natalie in the 2003 romcom Love Actually Credit: Alamy
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Martine won the hearts of the nation for four years playing doomed single mother Tiffany Mitchell in EastEnders Credit: BBC
The actress already suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as ME, which causes extreme fatigue that cannot be relieved by sleep.
Diagnosed with ME in 2011, she previously battled Lyme disease, which can cause fever, and fibromyalgia, a chronic disorder that causes pain throughout the body.
Within a year of their big day, the couple was also facing serious financial problems.
Although she was once worth £2 million, Martine was dropped by her label and was on the verge of bankruptcy.
To pay off mounting debts, she was forced to flog the £25,000 engagement ring Jack gave her when he proposed.
She said: “I just thought my health, my money, my career had been taken away, and now even my engagement ring – the only thing that represents what’s solid in my life – is gone.”
And Martine, who desperately longed for a baby, struggled to conceive, while the first years of their marriage were rocked by a series of “terrible” miscarriages.
Medical experts warned her that she might never become a mother.
Martine said: “The top doctors were absolutely amazing but they said, ‘You can’t have children. Your immune system and disease think they have to fight everything, and unfortunately that includes babies. So we have no idea how you managed to keep Rafferty.’
“To this day they don’t know how I had it.”
Shortly after her son was born, Martine revealed she wanted to try for another child straight away, joking: “Then maybe me and Jack could be in it like cat and dog!”
Unfortunately, the second child was not to be – and Martine had more painful pains last year.
She was devastated when her younger brother Laurence – known as LJ – died suddenly at the age of 31, just weeks before she was due to be a bridesmaid at his wedding.
In a tribute posted on social media, Martine said there was “no medical explanation” for his death, adding: “My heart is forever broken.”
‘My friends made me understand’
It was another tragedy that destroyed the family.
Martine’s mum Jenny Tomlin was physically and sexually abused by her father Ronald Ponting from the age of four.
In her memoir Behind Closed Doors, Jenny also recalled Ronald beating her mother Lilian and abusing her sister Kim.
Martina’s dad Thomas Hemmings was also a violent drunk who ended up behind bars.
“He wasn’t interested in Martine,” Jenny wrote.
“Fortunately, I got away from him as soon as possible.
“Still, it was hell for me. Me and Martine had to move constantly.”
The actress also opened up about paralyzing anxiety attacks and struggles with her weight.
Martine has lost five per cent over the past few years, dropping three dress sizes thanks to a strict diet with the Cambridge Weight Plan.
She explained: “For 80 per cent of my week I’ll mostly just eat healthy protein, veg and fruit and then I’ll have treats 20 per cent of the time – I’ll have that slice of pizza or a G&T.”
After the shocking announcement of the split, Jack stayed at home with his mother.
Martine was brave in Marbella, Spain, after taking Rafferty on a “much needed” holiday.
The final decision to break up, which she made on his doorstep, appears to have been prompted by the recent death of Jack’s father, Mick.
But while his loss may have been the final catalyst, the cracks have been showing for months.
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The actress also opened up about bouts of enrichment anxiety and struggles with her weightCredit: Instagram
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Martine’s portrayal of Eliza Doolittle in the West End production of My Fair Lady won her an Olivier Award in 2002. Credit: Gareth Davies
The couple quietly put their £1.5million Surrey mansion on the market in May and have been living separate lives ever since.
She has not appeared on her husband’s Instagram profile since last September, when Jack posted their fancy dress with the caption: “Welcome to the circus. #family.” Martine commented:
“We are definitely a circus! I love you baby.”
In what many saw as an attempt to save their ailing 18-year relationship, the couple renewed their wedding vows two years ago.
But just two months later, Martine admitted that they “don’t have a perfect relationship by any means”.
She added: “But through trials and tribulations, my friends – when I feel like I can’t reach him – make me sane.”
With the marriage she’s tried so hard to save broken, she’ll need those friends more than ever.
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