Conor Maynard fires back at The Traitors star Charlotte Chilton after paternity-row tests

Conor Maynard has publicly fired back at Charlotte Chilton, a star of BBC’s The Traitors, in a bid to have his say on a public paternity-row that has followed him for more than a year. In a video posted to his Instagram on Monday, the singer and social media figure leaned into satire, presenting a mock press conference complete with microphones and paparazzi-style questions as he signaled that it was his turn to respond after a lengthy back-and-forth over whether he is the father of Chilton’s daughter Penelope.

Chilton first claimed in June of the previous year that Maynard was the father of her unborn daughter after a one-night stand. Since then, two paternity tests have concluded that Maynard is not Penelope’s father. The drama has played out in public forums and through court-adjacent statements, with Chilton alleging complications surrounding the DNA-testing process and the presence of an unidentified male at the sample collection. The initial assertions followed Penelope’s birth, during which she said Maynard refused to acknowledge the child. A subsequent test reinforced the finding that Maynard is not the father, though Chilton continued to press for answers about the testing location and DNA collection process.

The latest clip, viewed by fans as a bid for transparency, shows Maynard at a makeshift press setup with mock-news banners and satirical outlets such as “Traitor Times” and “The Legal Guardian” emblazoned on the props. A string of questions appears on screen, including: “Conor, is it true that you still can’t say no to women?” and “Roughly how much did you pay to change your DNA?” The video culminates with a closing shot of Maynard looking into the camera as the words “Cherry On Top Sept 26” flash across the screen, while captions direct viewers to music-streaming services to pre-save an upcoming track.

The public exchange comes as Chilton’s representatives issued a statement to Daily Mail reflecting on her broader experience over the past year. The representative said that Chilton had fought “an extraordinary battle for truth and justice with heartfelt conviction,” and thanked supporters while acknowledging the role of her legal team. The statement attributed to Chilton’s camp also noted that she would “take time to process, heal and reflect” before sharing her story in full.

In a separate post, Maynard confirmed the second paternity test results directly, stating that the test again showed he is not Penelope’s father. He explained that, as requested by Chilton, the DNA samples for Penelope, Chilton and Maynard were collected at a Ministry of Justice-accredited facility chosen by Chilton, and that the results are therefore conclusive. The Instagram message did not include new allegations against Chilton, but it did juxtapose the ongoing dispute with the public-relations push surrounding his own music release.

The public dispute coincides with Maynard’s personal news: over the weekend he announced his engagement to his girlfriend, Kitty Bertrand. In a social media post celebrating Bertrand’s birthday, Maynard shared a photo of the couple and a message that read, in effect, that he was ready to take on forever with his fiancée. He did not specify a wedding date, but the post underscored a shift in his public narrative away from the paternity row toward his life with Bertrand.

The engagement news has added a new dimension to a saga that began with a remarkable amount of public attention and personal speculation. Maynard, who rose to prominence as a singer and social media figure, has acknowledged the strain such headlines can place on a family, while his supporters have urged a focus on his music and career. Chilton’s side has historically maintained that the matter is not simply a personal dispute but one that touches on questions of parental responsibility and accountability, which continues to unfold in the public eye.

While neither party has indicated imminent legal action beyond the existing paternity-testing episodes, the latest developments suggest the dispute will continue to play out in social media, entertainment media coverage, and the broader online community that follows the intertwined lives of celebrities and reality-TV personalities. Fans and onlookers have watched as the two sides navigate the balance between public interest and private consequences, with Maynard’s latest post signaling a pivot toward his music and away from the ongoing paternity conversation.

As the story evolves, observers will be watching to see whether Chilton offers further public statements, whether new documents or statements emerge from parties involved, and how the media narrative shifts as Maynard proceeds with his engagement and new music releases. In the meantime, the culture and entertainment community will likely interpret the latest backlash and defense as part of a broader pattern in which public figures confront personal headlines while managing their professional trajectories.