Can a predilection for the ultra-spiritual or the woo-woo really ruin your relationship? Recent reports allege that this is what it did in the marriage of Manchester United centre-back Matthijs de Ligt, who is divorcing his wife AnneKee Molenaar after only a year of marriage. The Dutch outlet DenD has claimed that Molenaar’s penchant for posting “exaggerated spiri-wiri content” on her Instagram – along with her thoughts on gemstones, crystals and herbal remedies – drove him away.
Molenaar’s story resonated with me on different levels – I’ve also gone head first into new-age spirituality, and it’s come at the cost of my relationships. More than 20 years ago, I swapped substances for self-help books when I first entered recovery for alcoholism. It was hardly surprising. I needed to fill a huge gap in my life and learn to believe in something greater than myself. It alienated my old friends, who quickly got sick of me talking about Deepak Chopra’s views on the soul’s journey, but I soon balanced out. Many years later, though, new-age spirituality began to impact my romantic life.
