Ashley Cain has admitted to having a ‘turbulent time’ after the birth of his son Aliyas Diamond Cain.
The TV personality, 33, revealed last year he was a expecting a son with an old friend after he and ex partner Safiyya Vorajee, 36, tragically lost daughter Azaylia.
The former Ex On The Beach star took to his Instagram Stories and thanked fans for their support since his son was born.
He wrote: ‘A heartfelt thank you to you all for the love, support and kind messages I’ve received over the last few days. It has been a turbulent time as you can imagine.
‘But one that has been worth all of the sticks, the stones and the storms that have come with it. I am a proud and loving father to both of my children and nothing will ever change that.
Ashley Cain has admitted to having a ‘turbulent time’ after the birth of his son Aliyas Diamond Cain
The TV personality, 33, revealed last year he was a expecting a son with an old friend after he and ex partner Safiyya Vorajee, 36, tragically lost daughter Azaylia
‘So all that matters to me now is honouring my daughter in heaven and nurturing my son on earth. No matter what, MY KIDS COME FIRST. It’s that simple.’
Announcing the birth of his son this week, Ashley shared an adorable picture to Instagram and penned: ‘Aliyas Diamond Cain – 16.01.24, 4:32am, 9lbs 3oz.
‘I will love you, appreciate you, guide you and protect you with all of my heart, for the rest of my life.’
‘You will have the most beautiful guardian angel heaven holds watching over you and protecting you too. Welcome to the world my son.’
Ashley added: ‘May your body be strong, your mind be wise, your heart be loving and your spirit be pure and truly powerful.’
Ashley hasn’t disclosed the identity of his second child’s mother but confirmed that while they are not together they have been friends since they were 18 and dated on and off over the years.
Shortly before Ashley shared his baby announcement post, Safiyya took to Instagram to share a selfie captioned: ‘A brave face is sometimes all we have when getting by in this world.
‘If you’re wearing yours today keep going. You’re not alone because I’m wearing mine. Be kind to others you never know what they’re going through.’
Ashley namef his newborn son after his late daughter, Azaylia (pictured with Azaylia in 2021)
Ashley previously confessed it ‘wasn’t easy’ breaking the news to his ex partner Safiyya, saying: ‘It was painful for Safiyya but it was also painful for me as well to talk to her
She went on to share that she’d been flooded with messages from followers saying they were doing the same thing as she advised them to ‘be gentle’ and try to ‘love yourself a little more each day.’
Safiyya has said she is heartbroken that Ashley fathered a child with someone else and claims he had asked her to try for a second baby with him after their split. She had been hoping for a reconciliation but admits she hadn’t been explicit about that.
Last month, Safiyya said both she and Ashley struggled with their grief and he later moved out of their home in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.
She told The Sun on Sunday: ‘He’d had a drink, it was quick and brutal. He said he couldn’t do it any more.’
Former footballer Ashley and Safiyya raised more than £1.5million to fund Azaylia’s specialist treatment before her death and later put any unspent money into The Azaylia Foundation which aims to support families and provide memorable experiences for children fighting cancer.
Safiyya said The Challenge star Ashley turned to drink and fundraising and she put his needs first but craved love and attention from him.
Shortly before Ashley shared his baby announcement post, Safiyya took to Instagram to share a selfie captioned: ‘A brave face is sometimes all we have when getting by in this world’
She went on to share that she’d been flooded with messages from followers saying they were doing the same thing as she advised them to ‘be gentle’
Ashley moved in with his aunt and Safiyya later did the same despite splitting, with the pair having separate rooms in the same house.
She said she had always got on well with his family and, having known him for so long, saw his loved ones as her own family.
Safiyya claims Ashley then suggested having another baby but she was unsure as she did not want her child to think they’d been born to fill the ‘void’ left by their let firstborn Azaylia.
In June this year, Safiyya moved out of Ashley’s aunt’s home and bought her own property, thinking some space between her and her ex would do them good.
READ MORE: Ashley Cain hits back at trolls in angry post after ex Safiyya Vorajee said he ‘brutally’ dumped her
They continued to work on the foundation they’d set up in Azaylia’s name, talking about it every day, and she waited in the hope he would ask her to get back together with him.
But Ashley told her he was having a baby with another woman, although he was not in a relationship with her.
She said: ‘He didn’t tell me who she was and, again, I would not ask.’
Breaking down in tears, she added: ‘That’s the heartbreaking thing about it. Even when he told me, I put him first so he didn’t feel guilty for telling me. Inside I was screaming and crying.’
Safiyya sought help from a therapist in a bid to process her feelings and decided to visit Azaylia’s garden to tell her about what was happening in her life.
However, after she arrived, she could not bring herself to say out loud that Ashley was having a child with someone else.
Speaking last year about becoming a father for the second time, Ashley confessed on Good Morning Britain: ‘It was different because I felt slightly guilty, I felt slightly hurt for Azaylia and I didn’t really expect this to be the case.’
Ashley continued: ‘But very quickly, like I do, I took the responsibility of being a father. I realise that every child is a blessing and I got myself in the right mind frame and had a long time to think about it.
‘[I’m going to] be the best person I can possibly be for my son that’s coming into this world and that’s what I intend to do.’
As host Ed Balls asked if this baby news made him feel ‘conflicted with loss and opportunity’, Ashley responded: ‘100 percent.
‘I think I was meant to be a daddy. I love children, I love my family’s children and it’s hard every time to see them because I always think that’s what Azaylia should be doing now… I think that’ll be the case with my son.’
His former partner Safiyya last month claimed Ashley dumped her in a ‘quick and brutal’ way following the death of their baby daughter Azaylia, before asking her for another child
Ashley said that Azalyia would have loved a a little brother and he is looking forward to becoming a father again.
But Ashley’s strength was tested again when the couple discovered at the 20-week scan that their baby has a potential heart defect.
He explained that the doctors couldn’t find the connection between one of the valves and the heart which naturally scared the star.
Although he is worried over his son’s health after his tough journey with Azaylia, he said he will go for a scan as soon as he is born to double check his health.
If you are struggling with the loss of a child please contact Sands on 0808 164 3332 or helpline@sands.org.uk
For help and support caring for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, please contact Together for Short Lives on 0808 8088 100 or visit www.togetherforshortlives.org.uk
