Entertainment
Makeup artist alleges Jermaine Jenas ‘begged for sex’ and secret ‘birthday kiss’-Lillie Rohan-Entertainment – Metro
The woman says she had a boyfriend at the time.
Jermaine Jenas was sacked by BBC last month following multiple allegations (Picture: Julian Finney/Getty Images)
New allegations involving disgraced BBC presenter, Jermaine Jenas have come to light, claiming the star harassed a junior make-up artist for sex.
The former host of The One Show, 41, has been hit with multiple accusations in recent months, with the most recent account including a woman who reportedly told him she had a boyfriend.
Jenas, a father of four, was allegedly so persistent in his quest to have sex with the unnamed woman that when she revealed she was in a relationship, he reportedly replied by telling her: ‘Just come to my dressing room early, and I’ll [perform a sex act] on u… that’s not cheating.’
The woman claims the alleged incident occurred in 2017 at BT Sport, where the former pro footballer was starting to build his career, but she didn’t report it out of fear of losing her job.
Speaking to Daily Mail, the make-up artist, whom the news outlet agreed not to name following fears it could impact her career, claimed she had told Jenas that she was not interested in him romantically or sexually but that he pursued her anyway.
She claimed she met Jenas at the show, which has since been renamed TNT Sports, and was surprised to find he followed her on Instagram soon after their first encounter.
Jenas is currently married to model Ellie Penfold (Picture: PA)
The couple share three children together, while Jenas also has a daughter with his first partner (Picture: Instagram)
After connecting on the social media app, Jenas allegedly began sending the woman direct messages of explicit content, including a video of him holding his genitals and a picture asking her for a ‘snog’.
‘Soon after that message and the video I had to go in to do a touch up for him to go on-air,’ she told the news outlet. ‘He whispered to me “did you see my messages” and I just said “yes”, as in “I’d seen them, not interested,” and just carried on working.’
The woman claimed he messaged her again on his birthday, February 18, asking for a ‘birthday kiss’ and promised to keep it ‘our secret’.
The woman claimed she responded by telling him she was in a relationship and ‘not interested’ in his advances. Jenas reportedly ignored her response and continued to send her messages.
One message allegedly read: ‘But you’re so sexy! I want you!!!!’ with an angry emoji.
She claimed another said: ‘Would you rather lay on your back while I [perform an intimate act] …or do you prefer it [a lurid sexual description]’, to which she again said she was not interested and didn’t want to cheat on her boyfriend.
The former TV host has been sacked by the BBC (Picture: Brett Cove/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock)
Jenas reportedly plans to seek legal advice regarding the multiple claims made against him (Picture: PA)
After multiple messages, the woman told the news outlet she went to her boyfriend, who encouraged her to tell her manager at the time.
‘My boss just said “they’re like that, ignore him. When he comes into the room just walk out and someone else will do it [his make-up],”’ she said. ‘And I was so junior in my job I didn’t question this.’
She claimed her manager did not report Jenas’ behaviour to upper management and was told he was ‘known’ for that kind of pestering.
The woman said she ultimately was taken off shifts where Jenas was working, and she saw him less and less while at work. She told the publication that the messages also stopped and, years later, claimed Jenas apologised for his behaviour.
‘He said: “I’m not that person, that isn’t me.” And then to hear that it was still going on, it makes you think ‘was that an apology because you’re now doing the One Show? You want to give a family man image?’ She said.
Jenas is a former professional footballer (Picture: credit should read CARL DE SOUZA/AFP via Getty Images)
The woman believed Jenas only apologised because he wanted a ‘family man image’ for The One Show (Picture BBC)
Daily Mail approached a spokesman for Jenas’, who denied the messages were ‘unsolicited’.
‘Jermaine denies that these messages were unsolicited and it is disappointing that it has taken seven years for these accusations to come to light. Jermaine has already apologised for his past actions and is currently taking time to focus on his family,’ the rep said.
Jenas was taken off air and sacked by the BBC after complaints were made, including an allegation that he ‘sent unsolicited texts to a female staff member at The One Show.’
The BBC confirmed to Metro.co.uk on August 22: ‘We can confirm that he is no longer part of our presenting lineup.’
The former Premier League player has been lying low in the aftermath but admitted to sending inappropriate texts to two BBC co-workers.
He also previously insisted that he would seek legal advice as there are ‘two sides to every story’ and he was ‘not happy’ with how things had played out.
Metro.co.uk has contacted TNT Sport and Jenas’ representative for comment.
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