Lauren Goodger admits she’s split with jailbird Joey Morrisson as she enjoys first night out with friends after secret heartache
LAUREN Goodger confirmed she’s broken up with her jailbird boyfriend of 15 months Joey Morrisson during a wild night out with pals in London.
Her admission comes just 10 days after The Sun Online revealed the pair were on the rocks following a furious row inside HMP Highpoint South, where Joey has been behind bars since 2008.
Newly-single Lauren confessed all about her sad split on a night out at the launch of Vicky Pattison’s latest collection with Ann Summers in London.
A source close to Lauren told The Sun Online: “Lauren has told all her mates she is single - she said she has finished with Joey and that the relationship is over.
“It didn’t really come as a shock to anyone because people know it wasn't exactly the perfect relationship for her to be in - in fact, we're completely relieved it's all over.
“She was really letting her hair down and it was nice to see her back to her usual self.”
Friends of Lauren, who was desperate to start a family with Joey, have been quietly very concerned about the relationship ever since it started.
Most of her close knit group of friends have been fiercely against her getting close with the bad boy who has been behind bars for nine years.
Romantic Lauren has dedicated over a year of her life to visiting Joey in jail and spoken openly about her dream of having his baby and getting married next year when the con is released from prison, despite what her friends tell her.
“I want to get married and have children. I want a beautiful household with lots of love and affection.
“I want to have quite a few children, four [or] as many as I can.”
A friend of Lauren's, Jodie, also appeared on the show and said: “She wants to have a baby while he comes out on day release so she’ll be doing the pregnancy all by herself.
“I don’t think she sees it like he’s in prison, I think she sees it like he’s coming out soon.”
Another pal, Lisa, added: “She is so desperate to start a family and she loves him so much she doesn’t care how it happens as long as it happens.”
Unsurprisingly Lauren is keen to avoid publicly acknowledging the split as she comes to terms with it herself.
Instead she has been hitting out with memes and cryptic messages, as pals admit she now “feels a little silly” for getting so swept away by a man who she has never even been on a date with.
Lauren's concerned pal added how she had been so conscious of presenting herself as the perfect girlfriend to “controlling” bad boy Joey in Instagram pictures she had forgotten who she was.
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They explained: “Lauren is the life and soul of the party - she loves going out and seeing her mates but she'd stopped doing it altogether.
“She was just going to the gym and keeping herself to herself but now she's getting her mojo back. She keeps saying 'LG is back.'”
During her evening at cocktail bar Tonight Josephine in London, Lauren posed up for pictures with celebrity mates Vicky, Ferne McCann, Danielle Armstrong and Casey Batchelor.
Posting the snaps on her Instagram page, Lauren captioned one picture: “#LG is back now” and in another hinted at her secret heartache as she thanked her friends for the “girl chats”.
When the bash ended, Lauren and a friend headed to DSTKT nightclub in London – where she later posted a throwback picture of herself and told her fans it was from a time she was “not allowed out”.
Lauren later videoed magnums of champagne being carried out in the swanky club and waved her glass around as the people next to her cheered.
Lauren and Joey came close to breaking up earlier this month following a row.
A source said: “Lauren and Joey had a furious argument and they came close to breaking up.
“They aren’t in a good place right now. The timing was bad given everything that happened with Mark last week.
“Lauren is madly in love with Joey but their circumstances make it incredibly frustrating.
“What would have been a normal argument for another couple turned into a blazing row.”
Our insider continued: “It wasn’t pretty and she made it clear how unhappy she was about what was going on between them.
“Lauren has been waiting for Joey and she’s devoted to him but this was their worst row yet and everyone can see it’s going to be a tough road ahead.”
Joey has been behind bars since 2008 for serious drugs related offences.
He is expected to be released in 2018 and Lauren has previously made no secret of how much she wanted to settle down with him.
A representative for Lauren said: “Lauren and Joey haven't officially broken, but Lauren is questioning her relationship and having doubts.
“It's not easy being with someone who is in prison, especially with all the scrutiny and speculation.
“She loves Joey deeply but she needs time to work out if this relationship has legs and whether it will all be worth it in the end.”
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