Kerry Katona would be ‘devastated’ if her son Max was transgender but would stand by him
KERRY Katona has admitted she would be “devastated” if her son was transgender, as she would lose her only son.
The mother-of-five has four daughters – Molly, 18, and Lilly-Sue, 17, with first husband Brian McFadden, 13-year-old Heidi with second husband Mark Croft, and six-year-old DJ with late third husband George Kay – but only one son, 12-year-old Max, whom she welcomed with Mark.
However, the former musician turned columnist spoke of her desire for her children to be happy, and revealed that she would stand by any of her children who may want to transition.
Her comments come after Stereophonics’ singer Kelly Jones revealed that his oldest child Lolita Bootsy has transitioned to Colby after previously coming out as gay.
“It’s an incredibly brave thing to talk about, especially publicly, and it got me thinking about what I’d do if one of my kids wanted to change their gender,” wrote Kerry in her new! magazine column.
“Of course, I’d be supportive – I can’t bear the thought of them being unhappy in the bodies they’re in.
“In all honesty, if Max decided to become a girl I’d be devastated, just because he’s my only boy, but of course I’d stand by him,” she said.
“It’s like if my Molly decided to become Michael – it’d be so hard to mourn the child you know but, deep down, all that matters is their happiness. And I wish Kelly’s boy Colby all the best,” she added.
The 39-year-old also compared transitioning to her own decisions to undergo surgery for cosmetic procedures, writing: “Plus, if I can get my boobs and belly done because I’m not happy with myself, then why can’t they change their sexual organs?!”
Earlier in April, 45-year-old Kelly revealed he had sought advice from non-binary singer Sam Smith as he tried to support Colby, 15, who was “dealing with a lot of anxiety”.
Speaking about Colby who was born female and now uses he/him pronouns, Kelly shared: “She has transitioned from Bootsy to Colby, and trying to deal with all that as a parent, and as a school, as grandparents, and Christians, is a huge thing.
“She was dealing with a lot of anxiety through all this stuff; it was like every little bomb she gave me and her mum and the family, she would get lighter and feel better about herself.”
Kelly also detailed the “grieving process” of “losing” his daughter, adding that he was weighed down by the responsibility of supporting Colby while sharing the news with family members – including his other children and Colby’s grandparents.
Kelly said: “It is like you have lost your daughter but gained a son. Then you get responsible for the siblings, like how are they going to deal with it, and the grandparents.”
Kelly shares Colby with ex-wife Rebecca Walters, who he also has 13-year-old daughter Misty with.
He is also dad to daughter Riley with current wife Jakki Healy, who he married in 2013.