Laurence Fox and Billie Piper’s fiery marriage – and his distrust of Chris Evans

It’s been a year of controversy for actor Laurence Fox, who has once again landed himself in hot water by branding several high-profile stars ‘paedophiles’ after they called him ‘racist’.

And his ex-wife Billie Piper was brought into the fray earlier this week when journalist Bella Mackie – who is married to Radio 1 host Greg James – tweeted her relief over their divorce.

“Every day I feel glad for Billie Piper and her happy new life away from *all that*,” she wrote of the former pop star who has since moved on with Johnny Lloyd, former frontman of indie band Tribes.

Laurence and Billie got together in 2006 after meeting on the set of theatre show Treats.

They tied the knot in December 2007, moved to West Sussex and welcomed sons Winston, 11, and Eugene, eight.

But according to Lewis actor Laurence, 42, their marriage was plagued by rows that he would yell ‘cut’ to stop.

Admitting he “100 per cent wound the f*** out of her,” Laurence told The Sunday Times that he now refuses to row. “You don’t need that in your house. You don’t need that sh*t,” he said.

Billie concurred that their life was full of ‘ups and downs’ and ‘stupid arguments’, telling Psychologies magazine: “It’s emotionally up and down – the extremities of emotion.

“Being in love isn’t something that goes, ‘Oh, this is it then.’ It’s more dramatic. It can make you feel sick and then out of control and hyper.’

“[The rows are] usually something really stupid, often born out of being exhausted.”

In a separate interview with the Daily Mail, Laurence said they tried counselling to mend their ‘bad marriage’ before finally calling it a day in 2016.

What followed was a bitter custody battle over their sons which Laurence has said was sparked by the legal system rather than themselves.

He previously revealed how the divorce and part-time separation from his sons left him feeling suicidal and suffering from extreme anxiety.

“The physical symptoms of trauma and suffering are profound panic attacks for an extended period of time, and I’ve never had a panic attack in my life before,” he previously told The Mirror.

“I haven’t slept for six months, even with sleeping pills. I go to bed the same time, same bed as the kids and just lie awake, sleeping two or three hours. My mind’s whirring round.

“I’m seeing an amazing therapist, I love her. You’ve got to seek help, from your family, a therapist, a fitness trainer, whatever it is.

“Family and friends might be the best people for this stuff but they’ve got their own lives. My brother, Robin, has saved me in this whole situation. He saw it all, what I didn’t see, knew what was coming and tried to tell me about it.

“I shouted and got angry with him. But I am my brother’s keeper and will never be able to thank him for how wonderful he’s been to me. He sent me a personal trainer, Darren, three times a week, as a divorce present, and the other two days I train myself.

“I kept going to my marriage guidance counsellor even when we stopped, and she said, ‘You know all the money you’ve got saved for a rainy day? Well its f***ing pouring, so use it’.

“So I live that way at the moment, spending whatever I need to get me through.

“I think mental health is much undiscussed in this country, men especially are scared of it, but it’s good to talk about feelings. There’s only so much room in the cupboard to store them up.”

And Laurence admitted Billie’s ­continuing friendship with first husband Chris Evans was hard for him to deal with.

A source told The Mirror Billie ‘leaned’ on Chris – who she once branded her ‘soulmate without being lovers’ – as her marriage collapsed.

And Laurence admitted: “I don’t think I was super tolerant of having him around.

“I was just more naive than I should have been. Chris Evans’ job is to observe people, interview them and be interested in them so that’s what he does for better or worse.”

Chris has never responded to his comments but did call Billie’s new boyfriend Johnny her ‘forever partner’.

For Billie’s part, she said she suffered a ‘massive life crisis’ after the split and feared she was stuck in a cycle of ‘repetitive, negative behaviours’.

“I think your thirties are a time when you start reflecting on everything you have or haven’t achieved, and where you’re going and what your mental health is like,” the I Hate Suzie star told the Stagecraft with Gordon Cox podcast.

“It’s a good climate to talk about being a woman and what you’re subjected to and how you move forward.

“You have to laugh at a moment’s life crisis because otherwise it just kills you.”

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