family at war
Five unanswered questions in Adam Peaty’s family feud over wedding to Holly Ramsay
Adam’s autobiography played a part in one element of the family feud according to an insider
ADAM Peaty’s wedding to Holly Ramsay has been like something out of a soap opera.
Despite the statement venue and A-list guests, it hasn’t all been love and glamour, thanks to Adam’s feud with his family.
Adam Peaty and Holly Ramsay’s wedding has been dominated by his feud with his familyCredit: Splash
The couple tied the knot on Saturday in a ceremony at Bath AbbeyCredit: Splash
Adam’s parents did not attend the wedding, neither did his two brothersCredit: SWNS
The Olympic swimmer uninvited his mum Caroline, before making an unappealing offer to his dad Mark.
The 31-year-old’s two brothers also failed to attend, with only his sister Beth joining him on his big day as one of Holly’s maid of honours.
The situation is complex and messy, and has left many unanswered questions for bewildered fans, here are five of them.
Why did Adam fall out with his mum in the first place?
Adam is believed to have fallen out with his mum Caroline after she ‘enabled’ his brother James’ behaviourCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
It seems the family feud began after Adam’s stag do in Budapest in November.
Adam’s brother James was arrested over allegations he had sent threats to the Olympian during the trip.
While he was later bailed, a source said at the time that Adam felt his mum was “enabling his brother’s actions rather than pushing him to deal with his demons.”
Not long after, Holly failed to invite her future mother-in-law to her hen do at Soho Farmhouse, despite her own mother Tana – and Victoria Beckham – being in attendance.
The snub prompted Caroline to share a quote on Instagram which included the line “The ones I love are the people who hurt me the most”.
The battle lines were drawn.
Why did he invite his dad to the wedding at the last minute?
Adam’s dad Mark was told just before Christmas he could attend the wedding, but would have to sit at the back of the churchCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
After both Caroline and Mark was uninvited from the wedding, it seems Adam made a unappealing offer to his father just days before the nuptials.
It was claimed the swimmer’s sister Beth – the only family member to be at the wedding – told Mark just before Christmas that he could attend, but he would have to sit at the back of the church.
An insider told The Sun: “For him to turn around and tell Beth that his dad could come and sit at the back of the church is awful.
“Mark was told he could sit behind plus-ones — who Adam has probably never even seen or spoken to.”
What prompted Adam to make the weird U-turn is unknown, but unsurprisingly, Mark didn’t accept the ‘offer’ and remained at home with Caroline and his sons James and Richard.
What made his sister choose his side in the row?
Adam’s sister Beth was the only member of his family to attend, and was one of Holly’s maid’s of honourCredit: Getty
Adam’s sister Beth was a maid of honour on his big day, arriving at Bath Abbey in a red Victoria Beckham dress alongside Holly’s two sisters.
While Adam has cut contact with his family, blocking all messages, it seems Beth is still in touch with them to some extent, having been the one to tell Mark he could attend as outlined above.
But why did she end up siding with her brother despite the brutal decisions he has made regarding their parents and wider family?
The siblings have always been close, being only one year apart in age, and interestingly, it was Beth that Adam mentioned first when discussing the pain his family were suffering in a statement released on November 19.
It read: “Over the past few days, a lot has been reported and comments posted about the private life of Holly and myself.
“My sister Bethany, has also been targeted. This has been almost entirely one-sided and, in many cases, excessive and intrusive. It has been deeply hurtful and upsetting to read, especially given the false basis upon which we have been targeted.
Ceremony venue: Bath Abbey
Reception venue: Kin House in Kington Langley, Wilts
Bridesmaids: Three, wearing red Victoria Beckham gowns
Bride’s dresses: Three, including two at the reception (one of which was mum Tana’s from when she wed Gordon in 1996)
Flowers: £50k white roses
Wedding car: Black Rolls-Royce
Celebrity guests: The Beckhams, Sara Davies, Dan Walker
Wrist bands: All guests wore wristbands embossed with Adam and Holly’s initials to prevent wedding crashers
Gift list: Included a £1,450 Big Green Egg outdoor cooker
Other options were a £995 mahogany table, £800 chair and footstool, and £450 log storage bin.
“What makes it worse is that it has been encouraged by members of my family.
“Bethany, Holly and myself cannot go into detail given an ongoing police investigation into serious matters that arose long before recent events.
“For those who know me personally, you know that I work so hard on trying to improve myself as a person who wants to contribute to making the world a better place.
“I am continuing to learn about myself and how I can be the man I want to be; a worthy partner, father, businessman, friend and athlete; even through these challenging times.
“Bethany, Holly and I will get through this – we do not ask for sympathy. We just need people to be aware that there are always two sides to every story.
“To those of you who have reached out and shown kindness and understanding – thank you. It is deeply appreciated.”
A friend close to the family told us: “Bethany has always been very close to Adam and she is really taken with the celebrity lifestyle.
“She’s had her head turned by all the glitz and glamour. She was over the moon to be at the hen party, hanging out with Victoria Beckham and couldn’t wait to tell all her friends about it.
“She really fits in with the glam world – she’s blonde and very pretty.
“She got on with Holly straight away and has been asked to be a bridesmaid.”
What kicked off the row with Adam’s brother?
Adam has also fallen out with his brother JamesCredit: Instagram
We previously mentioned how Adam’s brother James was arrested after his stag do, but the siblings’ feud goes back further than that.
The brothers first fell out when Adam wrote about James’s “demons” when discussing his brother’s past drug issues in his 2021 autobiography.
It’s understood the brothers have not been on speaking terms since June when James had been working on a building project for Adam.
While he was originally asked to be a groomsman at the wedding, he was not invited to the stag do owing to the row.
A family source told The Sun: “Adam and James were always close and they just fight like siblings always fight and argue between themselves.
“They’ve always made-up and been there for each other but since Adam’s engagement, relationships have deteriorated.
“James was upset about the comments Adam made in his book The Gladiator Mindset, where he wrote about James having demons and his brothers being in with the wrong crowd.
“James felt like he was portrayed as a bum in the book and people around town would ask him about what Adam wrote about him.
“James’s mental health has taken a turn for the worse since June and he hasn’t been communicating with Adam since then.“
Why is Adam falling out with his oldest friends?
The Sun has revealed how Adam has also cut ties with old friends like gold medallist Michael GunningCredit: X
It isn’t just his close and wider family that Adam has been cutting ties with, he’s fallen out with some of his oldest friends too.
The Sun has exclusively revealed how those close to the feuding Peaty family claim gold medallist Michael Gunning was shunned after “staying close” to Adam’s mum Caroline.
In a heartbreaking post days before the couple’s nuptials, Michael admitted he had been “dropped by friends and left broken by them” as he reflected on the past year.
An insider told The Sun: “Michael was once very close to Adam and Holly and even attended their engagement party last year.
But he was uninvited from the wedding as he got too close to Caroline, who has been vocal about being estranged from her son.
“The family have been in touch with him and he said he is feeling very hurt by the couple – especially Adam, given how publicly supportive he was of Adam when he went through a rough time in 2023.
“Given how close they once were, Michael never would have seen this coming.”
