Revealed: How the World Cup Wag who captured Jude Bellingham's heart managed to win over his VERY protective mother...

There is a joke among the England Wags that they are terrified of Jude Bellingham’s mother.

Perhaps it’s because of how protective she is of her young superstar son, who turns 23 on Monday.

But there is one member of the Wag entourage who’s managed to win over Denise Bellingham, the woman behind the success of the Real Madrid player – his beautiful girlfriend Ashlyn Castro, 28.

While sources tell me relations were ‘tense-ish’ between the women when Jude and Ashlyn got together in 2024, with some suggesting Denise is a ‘cold fish’, they have now formed an ‘unexpected and special bond’.

At the start of the couple’s romance, which is thought to have begun after they met on exclusive dating app Raya, I’m told Denise was ‘wary’ of Ashlyn, with her job as an influencer being a concern for both her and Jude’s father, Mark.

And unlike the small West Midlands town of Stourbridge where Jude and his footballer brother Jobe, 20, grew up, Ashlyn’s home city is Los Angeles. A quick glance at her Instagram will also tell you she enjoys the high life.

She regularly shares snaps of herself on board a private jet or at lavish hotels with her 700,000 followers on Instagram, as well as with her 254,000 TikTok fans.

‘Denise and Mark have put their life and soul into Jude and his brother becoming football stars, the last thing they want is a woman to use his success for their own gain,’ says a source inside the England camp.

‘So when Jude announced he was dating Ashlyn, the connotations of her job were not exactly appealing to his parents, in fact there were red flags. I guess she had to prove herself.’ 

Indeed she has. For Ashlyn has been seen sitting next to Denise during England’s World Cup games, and together they support Jude when he plays for Real Madrid at the Bernabeu stadium.

At the heart of Denise and Ashlyn’s bond, say sources, is the younger woman’s very fractious relationship with her own mother, Tina-Marie Young, who says she is currently living in a homeless shelter which is infested with bed bugs and cockroaches.

Mother and daughter, who lived together in Long Beach when Ashlyn was growing up, are thought to now be ‘estranged’, though that hasn’t stopped Tina-Marie from causing her daughter upset via TikTok videos.

In one, she said: ‘Who is this Jude Bellingham? You disobeyed your mum, lied about her, left her in shelters.’ While in another she said: ‘Come on, Jude Bellingham, who are you with my beautiful daughter, who has left her mum in shelters, lying about her? Who are you? Are you lying, too?’

Ashlyn, meanwhile, has said her mother suffers from schizophrenia and has not taken medication for a decade, impacting their relationship. She was close to her father, but he died aged 59 in 2021 after contracting Covid.

Both Ashlyn and Denise are ‘as tough as old boots,’ says my source. ‘Ashlyn has a very difficult relationship with her mother and it’s fair to say that Denise has been there to help with that.

‘While it has been upsetting for Jude to see his girlfriend endure her mother’s rants, the fact Ashlyn and her mum don’t have a relationship has brought her and Denise closer together.

‘While Denise might look like she would absolutely terrify you, at the heart of her life is family. She’s a doting mother who has made huge sacrifices for her sons, so for Ashlyn to be part of that [family unit] is lovely for her.

‘Ashlyn has had a horrendous few years. Denise has been brilliant to her and they are actually now very close.’

In turn, along with Jude, Ashlyn has been at Denise’s side as she navigates single life after splitting with Mark, her husband of 20 years. Their parting came after several years of living in different countries to manage their sons’ burgeoning football careers. Denise moved to Spain with Jude, while Mark stayed to support Jobe, who now plays for German side Borussia Dortmund.

Ashlyn has been part of the family through this difficult time, says a source: ‘She’s been a great support for Denise and Jude.’

Interestingly, at 57, Denise is eight years older than her 49-year-old ex-husband. This is a family used to age-gap relationships, which means they may not be fazed by the fact Ashlyn is six years older than Jude.

His first serious girlfriend, she spends a lot of time at his £7 million mansion in the exclusive La Finca enclave in Madrid – a favourite location for football stars, where Denise also lives.

Those who know the couple say it’s ‘the real thing’. He’s called her ‘my love’, while she’s described him as ‘the most thoughtful, kind-hearted, hard-working, incredible human I’ve ever known’.

However, their romance has made Ashlyn a target for much online hate from Jude’s fans.

‘She’s a gold digger,’ wrote one. ‘That’s why most of his fans don’t like her. Her entire goal is to be a Wag, it doesn’t matter to who.’

Others have claimed she’s really 35, something she has denied.

Ashlyn has hit back at the allegations, saying they are ‘disrespectful’ and completely untrue.

‘Going out with Jude, with his huge following of young girls who are infatuated with him is a little like being one of Harry Styles’ girlfriends,’ says an industry insider. ‘The only way these people know how to deal with it is by saying horrible things. It’s been hard for her, they were total lies.’

Ashlyn, meanwhile, has immersed herself in the World Cup and life as an England Wag.

As for what the future holds, a source predicts wedding bells. ‘There is a real sense that Jude could pop the question soon.

‘So it’s rather fortuitous that Ashlyn has got Denise onside.’