The ex-fiancé of Love Island presenter Maya Jama has reportedly demanded that she returns an engagement ring worth £800,000 back to him. Maya got engaged to Ben Simmons in December 2021 but split up last month.
Maya, from Bristol, was in a long-distance relationship with Ben, who plays for American basketball side Brookyln Nets, and their engagement reportedly went down hill last August, leading to the pair eventually splitting up.
But Maya, who wowed fans on her Love Island debut last week, apparently hasn't returned Ben's engagement ring, thought to be worth $1m, according to The Sun. Ben has even sent Maya a legal letter demanding she return the expensive ring, reports claim.
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A friend of Ben told The Sun that the NBA star was annoyed that Maya still hasn't returned the ring. They said: "“Ben was really shocked when she left and didn’t give him the ring back.
"He was madly in love with her and thought it was forever so was really p***ed she didn’t give it back. It cost around $1million and they were engaged less than a year.”
A spokesperson told The Sun that Maya intends to return the ring to Ben. They said: “Given Ben has never, until now, asked for the ring back, you can appreciate the letter came somewhat as a surprise to Maya.
“Maya received a request from Ben’s representatives on Friday afternoon, asking her to return the engagement ring that he gave her as a gift last year. This was the first time that she has been asked by Ben to return it and, for the avoidance of any doubt, she has never refused to return it. Maya is making arrangements to return the ring to Ben and wishes him all the best.”
Maya and Ben began dating in May 2021 before making their relationship public two months later when they were pictured kissing at the Wimbledon tennis championships. But Maya confirmed the pair had split earlier this month.
In an interview with The Times, Maya said: “I’m really, really single right now. Newly single. It’s only been a month . . . but it’s nice.”
A source told The Sun that the reason the couple decided to split was so that they could focus on their careers and that the UK-USA distance made it hard for them to make their engagement work, especially with their busy careers.
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