The Coronas frontman Danny O’Reilly has admitted he had “serious trust issues” when he started dating - because of his famous mother, Mary Black.
The talented singer – who was famously linked with Laura Whitmore - is part of a musical dynasty as his mother is singer Mary Black, his sister is Roisin O and his aunt is singer and Independent Senator Frances Black.
But Danny said his musical connections meant he had “serious trust issues” when it came to dating as he didn’t know if people liked him for who he is or who his famous family are.
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The 37-year-old said: “Definitely, the Mary Black thing was a strange thing for me growing up. She’s the best mam ever but it was definitely… It took me a while to get used to it.
“I remember when we were in Irish college and no girls would even talk to me and then by the second week in Irish college, the word would’ve spread.
“The next thing there would be girls talking to me and I sort of had serious trust issues from an early age because of that, I think.
“I feel bad saying that now because I’m so proud of my mam, she’s so amazing, but I used to deny it like...
“I think that was just probably some issue I was uncomfortable with,” he told Doireann Garrihy on the Laughs of her Life podcast.
The Closer To You hitmaker said in recent years he has become more private talking about his personal life as he always shuts down romance rumours.
When told how many people have always had an interest in his love life, he responded laughing: “Have they?”
Danny and Laura were together for more than two years but split in 2012 when Laura landed a gig Down Under. He then dated model Holly Carpenter in 2015 but the pair split up in 2016.
But the Dubliner said experience has taught him not to comment on who is dating.
“Yeah, it actually has, yeah. I was a little bit naïve in my early 20s and I was like ‘Oh I don’t care, and I’ll say whatever’ and then if you comment on your personal life, I think that if anything goes badly then, if it is something they want to write about. they feel that they can because you’ve commented on it before.
“So now I just don’t comment on it at all.”
He added that being more private has been better for his friends and family.
“It’s a bit better. It keeps it a bit separate as well I think for myself and for my own friends and family and definitely at one stage, if we were having a real DMC (deep meaningful conversation) podcast, we would get deep into all the issues of when we got dropped by Island, moving back to London and me trying to find the difference between Danny from the Coronas and Danny O’Reilly – me, like.
“If everything happens to the band, is that what defines me? So, if the band is doing well, does that mean I’m successful but not only that but is Danny from The Coronas, me, and keeping that stuff private and having good relationships with your family and friends, that are completely separate to the band is key for me and I ended up realising that.”
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