Cristiano Ronaldo is speaking out about the pain he, his partner Georgina Rodríguez and their family endured after one of their newborn twins died.
The soccer star, 37, is opening up in an interview with Piers Morgan about the moment he told his older children that while the couple's daughter Bella was born healthy, her twin brother Angel died.
Ronaldo and Rodríguez also share a daughter Alana Martina, 5, together. He is also father to son Cristiano Jr., 12, and 5-year-old twins, daughter Eva and son Mateo.
"Gio arrived home and the kids start to say where's the other baby, where's the other baby?" Ronaldo says in the interview airing Wednesday and Thursday on TalkTV.
"The kids start to say 'Mom, where is the other baby….'" the Manchester United striker continues according to a sneak peek provided to The Sun. "After one week I say, 'Let's be upfront, and let's be honest with the kids, let's say that, Ángel, which is his name, he go to the Heaven.' "
Ronaldo says that Angel is talked about every day in his house. "The kids understand, we had shouts around the table and they say 'Daddy I did this for Ángel' and they point to the sky. Which I like the most because he's part of their lives. I am not gonna lie to my kids, I say the truth, which was a difficult process."
Ronaldo also opens up about how hard that time period was for him and his family in a preview clip of the interview.
"Piers, probably the worst moment that I passed through in my life, since my father died… It's hard… we had quite difficult moments because we don't understand why it happened to us."
He says he struggled with having one twin live and one die. "I never felt to be happy and sad in the same moment," he says sadly. "I never felt. It is hard to explain."
On April 18, the couple made the heartbreaking announcement that one of their newborn twins, a baby boy, had died.
"It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that our baby boy has passed away. It is the greatest pain that any parents can feel," Ronaldo wrote on Instagram. "Only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness."
He continued by thanking their doctors and nurses for "all their expert care and support."
"We are all devastated at this loss and we kindly ask for privacy at this very difficult time. Our baby boy, you are our angel. We will always love you," he concluded the post, signed by himself and Rodríguez.
Ronaldo's chat with Morgan also addresses the ongoing controversy between the soccer legend and his club, Manchester United.
