Former Cameroonian and Chelsea football star Geremi Njitap has initiated divorce proceedings to terminate his marriage after discovering that he had raised twins for 12 years that were not biologically his.
The 45-year-old has been married to Toukam Fotso Laure Verline for over a decade.
According to The Sun, the couple’s twins were born after the player’s wife Laure had a fling.
The UK Sun reports that court documents in Geremi’s native Cameroon show Toukam “destroyed the harmony” of their marriage “through her abject behaviour”.
They also mention her “repeated lies”, and add: “No children have been born from this union.”
Toukam had claimed the twins born in June 2008 — four years before the couple’s marriage were his, which motivated them to get married.
“But the discovery that the children were from her previous partner destroyed the couple’s harmony,” the documents add.
The former Indomitable Lion also alleges verbal mistreatment at the hands of his spouse, claiming that he has been subjected to insults and derogatory language in front of their children.
During his playing days, Geremi Njitap was known for his versatility, being able to play at right back, right midfield or defensive midfielder.
Njitap played for Real Madrid, Chelsea, Newcastle United, and Turkish club Gençlerbirliği among others before his retirement in January 2011.
Geremi earned 118 caps for Cameroon from 1996 to 2010, scoring 13 goals.
He was a member of their squad for seven Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, winning in 2000 and 2002, as well as the World Cup in 2002 and 2010 and a gold medal at the 2000 Olympics.