Kerry Katona has had her ups and downs played out in the public eye. This hasn’t always been easy for her five children, especially her only son, 16 year old Max Katona. Kerry’s decision to join the adult-only subscription site OnlyFans in 2020 led to increased backlash for Max at school. “All of my children have had a tough time, but Max perhaps a bit more than the others because of who I am,” Kerry reveals during an exclusive interview with OK! alongside Max. “It is harder for boys and kids do say mean things to him. At the end of the day, I’m his mum so it’s going to hurt his feelings.”
Max admits, “I have had a lot of crap said to me at school about my mum doing OnlyFans, but I’ve always had crap about what my mum does – it hasn’t been the best,” He shares that he’s had to endure classmates saying “horrible” things about Kerry that he’d rather not repeat. Max confesses that when he was younger, he would often react to bullying by getting into fights. “Someone once showed me a topless picture of my mum on the beach and we had a fight. It does make me angry because I love my mum. All my friends who know her really love her, too. The mum you read about isn’t the mum who I know.”
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Kerry gets why son Max feels the need to be defensive. “He is very protective of me and of the family – he doesn’t let anyone talk badly of us,” reveals Kerry, 44, and mum to Molly, 23, Lilly, 21, Heidi, 17, and DJ, 10.
Despite Max enduring teasing for her career moves, Kerry’s commitment to OnlyFans remains unshaken. “I do feel guilty that my kids get stick, but I wouldn’t stop doing OnlyFans. I was famous before I started it and OnlyFans is just one of the many jobs I do – and I do it for my kids. They have everything they could ever want and it pays for this lifestyle. All I can do is make sure my kids know how much I love them – and they do.”
With a chuckle, Max admits, “I don’t mind her doing OnlyFans as long as she buys me things with the money.” Kerry adds a humorous quip, “He likes my fame when it means I’m driving him to college in a Lamborghini and impressing the girls there!”
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Max discusses how switching from school to college lessened the bullying, noting, “People don’t know who my mum is at college, like they did at school, so it’s been a bit easier,” and adds, “I don’t go out of my way to tell people either. I quite like just keeping myself to myself. I just keep my head down to draw less attention to myself. School wasn’t for Max and I think now this is the best version of him I’ve seen,” Kerry shared, adding, “I’m really proud of him.”
She confessed that it’s been tougher for him than her daughters, saying, “The girls say I’m softer on him, but it’s because I know what he’s been through and the way he thinks. I’m very protective when it comes to Max. I don’t want my kids to be tarred with the same brush as me just because I’m their mum. They are living with the burden of my mistakes and that can be hard.”
While he enjoys his studies, Max dreams of becoming a professional boxer and admires athletes like Conor Benn, Gervonta Davis and Mike Tyson. “I do really want to be a pro boxer – I like being able to defend myself and it’s nice to have found something I enjoy doing,” he expressed.
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Max and his sister Heidi are both children of Kerry’s ex-husband Mark Croft. Max doesn’t desire a relationship with Mark, despite Kerry offering him the opportunity.
Kerry’s fiancé, Ryan Mahoney, 36, who she has been dating since 2018, shares a close bond with Max and serves as a male figure in his life, something the teenager is clearly grateful for.
Max says, “Ryan is like my best mate more than a stepdad”. “I’ve had a s**t stepdad, then Ryan’s come along and made it better. He understands things when my mum doesn’t, so it’s nice to be able to talk to him. I don’t always tell my mum when people say things to me either – I don’t want to hurt her feelings.”
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Kerry adds, “Sometimes it’s like having two sons when they’re together – they’re always playfighting,” Max shares his own career ambitions, “I don’t want to be famous unless it was for boxing. I wouldn’t want to do reality shows or anything like that right now. On the other hand, I’d really like to experience being in a normal family and not having a famous mum, just to see what it’s like and to be… me. Not that I’m not me, but I’m just curious what that would be like.”
Kerry reflects on raising children in the public eye, “We are very close.” “Max will come to me for advice. He’s so open – we talk about everything. All my kids know I’ve been mum and dad when it’s just been us. It’s been hard being on my own with five kids. I know they’ve had a tough time, but I’ve never given up and I hope they are proud of me and of what I’ve achieved, no matter what. That’s all I can hope for.”
Max tenderly expresses his pride, saying, “I am so proud and I know everything you’ve done for us,” as Kerry fights back tears. She emotionally declares, “My kids are everything to me,” before adding, “This is for them.”
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