Natasha Hamilton’s teenage son was attacked on a school bus and taunted because she has been labelled a "4×4 mum".
The former Atomic Kitten has son Josh with Fran Cosgrave, son Harry with Gavin Hatcher, Alfie from her marriage to Riad Erraji and Ella with Ritchie Neville, and she has had to suffer mockery on social media since she split from the Five singer in March.
Although she has "thick skin" and can take the abuse, Natasha was dismayed when 13-year-old Josh came home to tell his mum he had been mercilessly bullied.
Speaking on ITV show ‘This Morning’, an emotional Natasha shared: "Only two days ago my son was set-on on a school bus and held down and was being shouted at. My eldest son, Josh, he’s 13. And they were saying, ‘Oh your mum’s a 4×4’, and things like that. And that just breaks my heart because he was so upset.
"Cruel comments are tough for me to read, but as an adult, and being in the industry for many years, I just have to put on my armour and get on with it. But now it’s trickling down, and the children are on social media, they read magazines, they read comments."
Natasha wishes her relationship with Ritchie had worked out but she won’t let her string of romantic failures define her as a person or labels given to her by spiteful people.
She added: "I refuse to let that tag define me, because I have been successful in my own right since I was 16. I’ve worked hard, I’ve put food on the table and supported all my children, I don’t have handouts, I don’t have benefits because I earn good money.
"And I actually do the best that I possibly can for my children, so it really makes me angry that people get so upset that I’ve had four children. Well yeah, I have – and what would my life be without them? It would be absolutely rubbish."
Natasha and Ritchie, 36, are still currently loving together for the sake of 19-month-old Ella and she insists things are working at the moment, although there are times when their newly platonic relationship is "difficult".
She said: "We still live together, which can be difficult at times, because it’s all raw, it’s hard to move on when you’re still together.
"But honestly, we wake up in the morning and I’m like, ‘Do you want a cup of tea?’ And we play with Ella together and take her out. It didn’t work for us, but we are totally dedicated parents for Ella."
Natasha Hamilton: My son was bullied over 4×4 name
