HE MADE MY LIFE HELL

Elton Jantjies' former lover Ashleigh Ogle tells YOU about their chaotic romance and why she had to leave him

- MEGHAN LAWRENCE

IT WAS a romance that turned into a roller-coaster.

First an innocent friendship blossomed into something more - then came the drug allegations, the police raids, the claims of threats and stalking and finally a bitter end with recrimination on both sides.

She claims she's been through hell. He claims they were never in an exclusive relationship and she was using him to gain publicity.

Now Ashleigh Ogle is telling her story - she wants to set the record straight. She was reluctant to talk to YOU at first, claiming she was being stalked and had been living in fear for weeks.

But when rugby player Elton Jantjies spoke out about her, she decided it was time to break her silence. He accused her of "trying to ruin my reputation" and "spreading misinformation about myself, my wife and our family situation that we are taking very seriously".

"Unfortunately I will not be quiet anymore and will surely take legal action against her," he adds.

Ashleigh has known Elton for "about 13 or 14 years after being introduced to him through a mutual friend.

She was in a relationship at the time and Elton respected this, she says. For years they were friends and he'd reach out to her and ask how she was. "I never reached out first. We went out to eat together many times, but only as friends.

Ashleigh knew Elton was married and kept her distance. Things ratcheted up when he sent her a message inviting her to celebrate his birthday at his home on 1 August this year. But she didn't end up going and he made her feel bad about not showing up. In retrospect, this should have been a warning sign of the turmoil to come, she says. But when he messaged her again a few days later saying he wanted to be more than friends, she agreed.

Ashleigh shows us a message Elton sent her on 6 August. "Babe, you're my person."