WITH her country estates, eight horses and jet-set husband, Geri Halliwell appeared to have what she really, really wanted.
Just last month she was posing alongside Brad Pitt at the premiere of the F1 movie in New York looking like she had all the girl power in the world.
But today the Spice Girl's dreams appear to be in tatters following her husband Christian Horner's sudden dismissal as the team chief of Formula One's Red Bull team.
Insiders believe the once strong-willed Geri's reputation has been badly damaged by her relationship with multi-millionaire Christian, 51.
Reportedly, last year's allegations against the Red Bull team boss that he sent "inappropriate" messages to a female colleague played a part in his departure.
A string of poor results on the racetrack recently for the once all-conquering team then meant he had to go.
Geri's decision to pair up with Christian was controversial from the start.
He was the father of a six-month-old daughter and had only recently split from his pub landlady partner Beverley Allen when he hooked up with the pop star.
Christian's parents were said to be so upset about the way Beverley was treated that they refused to attend their son's wedding to Geri, 52, in 2015.
Over the past decade with Christian, she has gone from a Union Jack dress wearing working class girl from Watford to prim all white outfits befitting her new life among the country set.
This radical transformation reportedly did not impress some of her old pals, who believe Geri shouldn't have tied herself so closely to Christian.
One former friend told the Daily Mail: "She's lost so much from getting with Christian.
"She was hell-bent on leaving her roots behind, ditching the brassy Geri that millions loved to become a snooty lady of the manor.
"She used to be so proud of being a Spice Girl but now she is back on the public's radar as the woman who got with her husband six months after his partner had given birth, then stood by him through the humiliating saga of the WhatsApp messages."
Devoted wife
The word is that Geri will be standing by her husband yet again as he attempts to pick up the pieces of his career.
There were reports that Christian was in tears when news came through of his shock sacking on Wednesday.
He founded Red Bull's F1 racing team 20 years ago and has devoted most of his adult life to bringing the team success.
Christian was such a workaholic that he wasn't there to see his much longed for first daughter Olivia born in October 2013, because he was away with Red Bull in Japan.
He said at the time: "I think being a father will be more of a challenge than running a team of over 500 people but I am looking forward to it."
Christian spent much of his time abroad, touring the world with Red Bull during the eight or nine month long F1 season.
Geri used to be so proud of being a Spice Girl but now she is back on the public's radar as the woman who got with her husband six months after his partner had given birth, then stood by him through the humiliating saga of the WhatsApp messages
Insider
That means Geri has done much of the parenting for the couple's son, Montague George Hector Horner, who was born in January 2017.
She also has a daughter, Bluebell, 19, from a previous relationship with screenwriter Sacha Gervasi.
Geri said of her relationship with Christian in 2015: "I do cook for him, I do like to see that he's happy. When I go to the Formula 1 races, I'm not about all the glamour.
"I never thought I'd meet the man who I knew I would be with always. I can be myself with him, I can breathe out. I don't ever want to get divorced."
Now, in the middle of the current F1 season, Christian finds himself with lots of time on his hands, and is reportedly keen for some "quiet time" with his wife and family.
Crisis management
Geri, meanwhile, is busy.
She is in discussions to star in a reality TV show, is the author of an adventure series titled Rosie Frost, and there are longstanding rumours that the Spice Girls will tour again next year.
Though since his sacking she has been quiet when it comes to Instagram, where she'd normally post images of herself with Christian.
The couple have a lot of work to do to rebuild the image of themselves as the perfect couple.
Even though an internal Red Bull investigation cleared Christian of wrongdoing, the idea that he was sending "inappropriate" messages to a female member of staff has stained his reputation.
One of Geri's former associates described her current dilemma as "karma" due to the way things ended between Christian and Beverley.
Less than two weeks ago Beverley, 58, a mother-of-three, died following a two year battle with cancer.
Family feud
Christian and Beverley appeared to have a strong relationship prior to their break-up 11 years ago.
They had been together for 14 years, lived in a Northamptonshire mansion, and he was stepdad to Beverley's two children Kieron, 36, and Liam, 32.
But in March 2014, Christian started dating Geri, and by November the couple announced in The Times newspaper that they were engaged.
Christian's parents Garry and Sara were said to be furious.
Prior to the nuptials a family member said: "You can say that his parents are absolutely devastated. We won't be going to the wedding.
"There is a lot more to this story than people know about – to do with his ex-partner."
You can say that his parents are absolutely devastated. We won't be going to the wedding
Family member
Christian's parents didn't attend the star-studded wedding at Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire in May 2015.
But afterwards Christian managed to heal the family rift by getting back on friendly terms with Beverley.
A neighbour told MailOnline that Christian had been seen visiting Beverley's house "quite a lot" in recent months to support her.
In an interview in 2023, Christian revealed: "I have a great relationship with Beverley and Beverley gets on with Geri, and Geri is great with Olivia and Olivia has a lovely relationship with Monty. It's totally harmonious."
Totally harmonious is not the phrase best associated with the Halliwell-Horner household at the moment.
A source told The Sun: "Christian is of course desperately sad that his career has ended this way.
"He also had the shock news about his ex wife's death just a few days before.
"But the emotion he showed during his teary speech was actually about Geri.
"He fears his sacking is yet another crisis for his marriage to face after an incredibly difficult year."
Car crash, or at the very least, tailspin, would seem more fitting.
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