Kelsey Parker reveals trolls told Phoenix’s stillbirth was 'karma' as she discusses grief and new romance
Widow of The Wanted’s Tom Parker says cruel online messages targeted her family while she navigates life with partner Will Lindsay and a growing brood.
Kelsey Parker, the widow of The Wanted singer Tom Parker, has revealed that online trolls told her the stillbirth of her baby son Phoenix was “karma,” a claim she described as sickening as she continues to mourn and move forward with her new romance. Parker, who lost Tom three years ago to brain cancer at age 33, shares two young children with him, Aurelia, four, and Bohdi, three, while also building a life with her partner, Will Lindsay. The couple went public with their relationship in September, announcing they were expecting their first child together earlier this year. In June, Parker disclosed that Phoenix was born asleep, a loss she has said has been compounded by cruel online abuse.
In an interview with The Sun, Parker recounted the messages she received in the wake of Phoenix’s death. She recalled hearing comments such as “karma,” and that some online commenters claimed she deserved the pain of losing a baby. “There were comments like ‘karma’… I mean, that just shocks me,” she said, noting the messages were not only heartbreaking for her but also affected her family, including her children and partner. “Someone else said I deserved for my baby to die. How can anyone think someone deserves to lose their baby? That’s what they were insinuating — that I deserved this pain, this loss.” She added that the abuse was especially disrespectful because it involved a baby who never had a chance to exist in the world. “Someone also compared Phoenix to a cat they had lost, as if to them losing a cat didn’t mean anything and was insignificant — it’s just so disrespectful.”
Reflecting on a particularly abhorrent message, Parker recalled one commenter who wrote, “He wasn’t much of a Phoenix — he didn’t rise from the ashes.” She described the comment as “sickening” and said it highlighted the cruelty she has faced while grieving for a child who did not survive. “For me, it was just absolutely heartbreaking to see that and about a baby that didn’t even make it into the world. I felt I couldn’t protect him,” she said.
The abuse Parker has endured extends beyond her. She said the messages have stretched to affect her children, her mother and her partner, underscoring the wide-reaching impact of online harassment on a family already navigating loss. Yet Parker remains determined to honor Phoenix’s memory while continuing to build a life with Will Lindsay. She has said she is open to growing her family further, and she has expressed belief that Tom is watching over Phoenix from heaven.
Parker has spoken publicly about the ongoing process of grieving, including the coping strategies she has relied on since Tom’s passing. In comments linked to appearances on ITV’s Lorraine, she described how grief has reshaped daily life and the ways in which she and her family have learned to function amid loss. “You’ve had to learn to live with various coping mechanisms since Tom passed away, suddenly you’re having to tap into those again,” she said. “I know the children have been, and always will be, this driving force for you… you still have to make them breakfast, take them to school. You still have to create a normal life for them.” She added that maintaining routine remains important for the whole family, including the daily school run, even as grief lingers.
The couple’s relationship is part of a broader life transition for Parker, who went public with Lindsay in September last year and announced that they were expecting their first child together earlier in the year. The family has continued to navigate the balance between public life and private grief as Parker supports her children through the loss of their father and welcomes new life into the picture. Parker has emphasized that honesty with her children about Phoenix’s death is essential. She has explained to Aurelia and Bohdi that Phoenix has joined their father’s side in heaven, saying, “Phoenix has gone with your daddy.”
Despite the pain of Phoenix’s loss and the unkind messages that have followed, Parker has expressed a persistence to honor her family’s needs and memories. She has acknowledged that the road ahead includes both healing and ongoing responsibility for her children, adding that Tom’s legacy and Phoenix’s memory remain central to her daily life.
For those affected by similar grief or online abuse, The Lullaby Trust offers support resources at 0808 8026868.