Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt’s ex-wife, model AnneKee Molenaar, has opened up about the emotional toll of their divorce in 2025, just a year after the couple tied the knot. “It has been a tough year for me. It was an abrupt change and I was in pain. I really experienced it as something physical. It was like I was having open-heart surgery. That is how fragile and vulnerable I felt,” Molenaar told Dutch TV programme RTL Boulevard.

The couple reportedly split after De Ligt grew tired of Molenaar’s spiritual lifestyle, which revolved around tarot cards, crystals and alchemy. However, Molenaar revealed that the two continue to share a friendly relationship.