"Marriage on the brink"

Text leaks: Halliwell had a “nervous breakdown”

Geri Halliwell and Christian Horner(Bild: Awais Butt / Camera Press / picturedesk.com)

"Geri Halliwell and Christian Horner's marriage is on the rocks for the first time," friends of ex-Spice Girl Halliwell revealed to MailOnline last night after a juicy text exchange between the F1 boss and a female staff member was leaked.

Geri Halliwell and Christian Horner breathed a collective sigh of relief on Wednesday when Red Bull cleared Horner of allegations of misconduct and inappropriate behavior following an investigation into his alleged relationship with the employee.

But then a series of WhatsApp texts and photos to dozens of journalists and key figures in the sport were published, bringing the scandal back into the public spotlight.

A series of WhatsApp texts and photos brought the scandal surrounding Christian Horner back into the spotlight. According to friends of the ex-Spice Girls, the couple's marriage is "in question".(Bild: www.PPS.at)

Halliwell had the "worst nervous breakdown"
Friends close to the Spice Girl, who has stood resolutely by her husband of nine years during the investigation, have now revealed that she had "the worst nervous breakdown of her life over the revealed text messages".

Halliwell had planned to fly to the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend to meet Horner in public, but those close to the former pop star revealed it was now "highly unlikely" she would accompany him.

Instead, the mother-of-two feels "humiliated" after the news "went so viral", one friend added. Hundreds of intimate WhatsApp messages allegedly exchanged between Horner and the colleague were published via an anonymous email account.

"Christian promised all along that there was nothing to it"
Horner was cleared by Red Bull's Salzburg-based parent company just 24 hours before the texts were published - and was told he could continue as team principal. Geri Halliwell had told friends that she was "relieved and delighted" that the allegations against her partner, with whom she shares seven-year-old son Monty, had finally been dropped.

Horner had "promised all along that there was nothing to it". He also said in a statement that he would not comment on anonymous speculation.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

The ex-Spice Girl had believed the scandal was "finally off the table", but friends of the singer warned that the emergence of the intimate messages - of which there are 79 screenshots - could "destroy" her. One insider revealed, "Christian promised all along there was nothing in there".

Another said he now feared the star, who had been humiliated by the embarrassing incident and could not cope with such public humiliation. "The tears stopped when the verdict was announced on Wednesday, now they will definitely have started again."

Horner himself released a statement shortly after yesterday's revelations, saying, "I will not comment on anonymous speculation, but I would like to reiterate: I have always denied the allegations."