Danniella Westbrook hasn’t spoken to her daughter for three years and she admits it is "difficult" to be estranged from her as she battles womb cancer.
The former ‘EastEnders’ actress’ 17-year-old child Jody has been living with her father – Danniella’s former husband Kevin Jenkins – for stability as her mother has had to deal with her substance abuse issues and online stalker.
Although she believes the best place for Jody is with her dad at the moment, Danniella would love to have contact again especially as she doesn’t know what her long-term prognosis is.
Appearing on the ‘Jeremy Vine’ TV show on Channel 5 on Thursday morning (24.01.19), she said: "Jody is with her dad and that’s just a whole different issue because of different things but the stalker did play a huge part in that for her own safety. I haven’t spoken to Jody for three years. She’s 17, she’s gorgeous. Look, it’s very difficult, especially since I’ve been ill. Jody is doing her life and she’s doing very well, she’s done brilliantly at school and now she’s in college and she’s doing great, and her dad is a great dad and he’s doing what’s best for her, right now. It’s probably a safer and much better environment for her whilst I’ve got all this stuff going on, with trials and different things and being ill, she should be there right now."
Although Danniella is estranged from her daughter she has a very close relationship with her 22-year-old son Kai – whose father is her ex-partner Robert Fernandez – and he has been supporting her every step of the way through her cancer battle.
The 45-year-old TV star accepts that she has put her son through a lot with her cocaine use and turbulent private life but she insists that Kai is not like her carer and they still have a mother and son dynamic even though they have been through some very tough times together.
She said: "Kai has looked after me very well since I’ve been sick, he’s been great to me and he’s good mate as well as anything else. He’s come through a lot of stuff and he’s a great kid and we’re very close.
"People think my son is my carer, that’s not true. He’s a very well put together kid. My son didn’t lose his childhood, he’s had a very privileged one at times and a very poverty stricken one at times, that’s what people don’t understand, people think he has been born with a silver spoon in his mouth but he really hasn’t he’s lived in homeless shelters and in my car with me. There’s been times when he’s had to stuff for us to survive."
Danniella Westbrook wants to reunite with her estranged daughter as she battles cancer.
The actress and television personality is desperate to see her 17-year-old daughter – who she has with her former spouse Kevin Jenkins – as she fears she could pass away.
One pal said: "She told me she hasn’t seen Jody recently."
Whilst another friend added to the Daily Star on Sunday: "Jody lives with Kevin. Dan has this gut feeling that she won’t outrun this. We’re telling her medicine can work wonders these days and she has caught it early, but she just has this feeling even the hysterectomy will be too much for her and she’ll die on the table. She just wants to see Jody."
Last month, Danniella revealed she is battling womb cancer and is currently waiting to see if it has spread to other parts of her body.
She said: "I’ve always said I am not scared of dying. But when the doctor said, ‘You have cancer’, straight away my thoughts turned to Jade [Goody] and that I don’t want to die. I know I need to fight. After what happened with Jade I was frightened to talk to anyone about my cancer at first. She was my friend and what happened was so awful. There is part of me that thinks I would rather just be ill and not know about it – to just get on with life. But then I thought about the kids and I thought that is a selfish way to be. I’ve tried to commit suicide before but getting this diagnosis has made me realise I don’t want to die. I want to live and sort out my health. I know I have to fight, I know I have to get up and battle it."