Conor Maynard slams Traitors’ Charlotte in TV interview on paternity battle saying ‘I was painted as a dead-beat dad’
POP star Conor Maynard has opened up on his year from hell and hit out at his Traitors star ex-girlfriend after she went public with their paternity battle.
The 32-year-old was engulfed in a paternity scandal after Charlotte Chilton publicly claimed on Instagram that he was the father of her baby Penelope following their one-night stand.
But Can’t Say No singer Conor demanded a DNA test, and in March it proved that he was not the father.
Charlotte, 32, later told The Sun she had doubts about the accuracy of the test.
Today, Conor appeared on ITV’s This Morning and said he had been through one of the worst years of his life.
He revealed his already poor mental health had spiralled, telling This Morning hosts Alison Hammond and Paddy McGuinness: “It was difficult to remain silent.
“I was instantly painted as a dead-beat dad. My comments on my social media were all about that.”
Asked why he wanted to speak out now, Conor said: “Realistically, one of the main reasons is, now is the right time.
“As you said, the last year has been really difficult and mental health is something I have struggled with for a huge portion of my life.
“And this year has been up there with my battle with it.
“There have been a lot of things that have happened and a lot of things that contributed to why it has been so difficult.”
Conor also announced the release of his new single, telling the presenters: “I have a new single out … a new single called Runaway Man. Which goes into my struggle with mental health and how it feels for me.”
Paddy asked the star how it felt to discover he wasn’t the father of baby Penelope.
Conor said: “Well funnily enough it wasn’t an instant relief.
“I actually thought I was going to have a massive panic attack the second I found out.
“I think initially a lot of my friends were like, do you want to grab a drink, do something, hang out near your house and we can just talk.
“I didn’t. I just stayed at home with my girlfriend and I tried to stay calm and have a relaxed night.
“It was more confusion not really understanding and feeling like, why did that all have to happen?
“A lot of us had kind of accepted that this had happened and this was the life we were preparing for.
“So when the result came in I can’t even begin to explain to you the feeling.”
Alison told viewers This Morning had reached out to Charlotte’s representatives but they turned down the opportunity to comment.
However, last month, Charlotte returned to social media following the results of the DNA test.
Posting on her Instagram Stories, she wrote: “A lot of people want me to address the comments regarding Conor.
“There will be a time and a place for this.
“Unfortunately I am not allowed to do this right now … just know I love all the support I have received and I appreciate all the love we continuously have been receiving.”
She rounded off her message with the words: “Love Charlotte and Penelope xxx”
Traitors star Charlotte shocked fans last year when she announced Conor was the father of her “miracle” baby Penelope.
The pair met after a champagne-fuelled wrap party of Claudia Winkleman’s BBC murder mystery game last year.
Pansexual Charlotte, who is still married to her estranged wife Laura, claimed Conor turned on her weeks later when she said she was expecting his child.
Charlotte moved to the Cotswolds to give birth, and now frequently updates fans on social media about juggling life as a new mum alongside her recruitment business.