Anthony Joshua is one of the UK’s most iconic boxers with his personal life gaining as much attention as his fighting skills in recent times
Chris Burns Senior Sports Writer
20:00, 19 Dec 2025
Anthony Joshua keeps his personal life private(Image: Getty Images)
Boxing legend Anthony Joshua has enjoyed a remarkable career inside the ring, whilst his romantic life beyond the ropes has garnered considerable attention. The 34-year-old is set to face YouTube sensation turned boxer Jake Paul this weekend, with the pair squaring off in Miami.
Joshua burst onto the global stage at the 2012 London Olympics, securing gold and cementing his place in British sporting history. Throughout his career, he’s held the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles, defeating formidable opponents including Wladimir Klitschko and Joseph Parker.
Despite his fame, Joshua has made considerable efforts to shield his private affairs from the spotlight. What’s publicly known is that he remains unmarried, though he was previously embroiled in controversy involving fellow boxer Amir Khan, who alleged that his wife, Faryal Makhdoom, had an affair with Joshua—claims Joshua has firmly refuted.
Whilst Joshua guards his personal matters closely, it’s documented that he has a son, Joseph “JJ” Joshua. The youngster’s mother is Nicole Osbourne, a former dancer who has since moved into working as a yoga instructor.
In 2017, speculation emerged linking Joshua with supermodel Bella Hadid, with numerous outlets suggesting a potential romance. Television personality and radio host Vick Hope was similarly rumoured to be romantically involved with Joshua around 2018, though neither party confirmed any relationship.
Anthony Joshua and Bella Hadid were rumoured to be dating(Image: Getty)
Hope subsequently married DJ Calvin Harris in 2023. This year, Joshua has been romantically linked with renowned Moroccan model and influencer, Samia Slimani. Speculation about a potential relationship began to circulate when photos of them together in Morocco were posted on Instagram.
However, it was the incident involving Khan that nearly escalated out of hand. The drama unfolded when Khan took to social media to accuse Joshua of having an affair with his wife, Makhdoom.
In a tweet, Khan wrote: “Lol moved up in the weight classes lol. Trust me I ain’t the jealous type. No need to send me pictures of the men you’re talking to #Disgusted.
Faryal Makhdoom, the wife of boxer Amir Khan(Image: Chatterbox Media/BBC/PA Wire)
“Left my family and friends for this Faryal. I’m not hurt but another fighter. I’m making it public. You getting the divorce #Golddigger. Mans like Joshua can have my leftovers!”.
Joshua strongly denied the allegations. Khan later expressed regret over damaging his friendship with Joshua, attributing his actions to a challenging time in his life.
During an appearance on The Overlap, Khan admitted: “I was in the papers for crazy stuff. Messing about with women, chilling out with this girl, chilling out with that girl. I was going through a bit of a mad time myself. I wanted to leave my wife then.
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“I had the problem with Anthony Joshua which I feel really bad for because at the end of the day I put him in the firing line for no reason,” Khan continued. “I mean, he was a friend of mine and since then we’ve never spoken.
“So, I lost a good friend through that as well. The guy did nothing wrong and I kind of just stuck it on him really, What happened was, my wife – me and her were not talking – and she sent a message saying, ‘Look, so many fighters are messaging me.'”.
“And because she showed me a message of Anthony Joshua saying hi to her or something, I lost it. I said, ‘Who the hell’s he, saying hi to my wife.’ Even though he was cool with me. Maybe he was just being respectful, all he was being respectful. Nothing ever happened.”
Joshua is set to take on Paul on Friday, December 19. The clash will take place at the Kaseya Center in Miami, with the main event anticipated to begin at approximately 3.30am GMT, broadcast live on Netflix.