Conor Maynard still suffering after Charlotte Chilton baby scandal 'I can't forget'

Conor Maynardadmits the scandal he found himself in "could have been avoided." The musician was left lost for words when it emerged that former The Traitors star Charlotte Chilton alleged she was pregnant with his child.

The singer, 32, and Charlotte met at the wrap party for the BBC programme, of which Conor's sister's boyfriend, Harry Clark, had won the second series, which aired in January 2024. Charlotte and Conor had a one-night stand, and it was after this that Charlotte claimed she had fallen pregnant.

Throughout Charlotte's pregnancy, Conor remained silent after she claimed he wanted nothing to do with her daughter, Penelope, who was born last year. Shortly after Charlotte's daughter was born, Conor took a paternity test, which revealed he was, in fact, not the father.

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However, Charlotte was "shell-shocked" when the results came in and demanded a second test, following suggestions that an unidentified male was present when Conor's sample was taken. But a second test confirmed the initial findings that Conor was not the biological father.

Conor, famed for hits including "Animal," has shared his year-and-a-half of hell in his latest single, "Cherry On Top," which came naturally to him, given the extreme autobiographical nature of his music. Throughout the accompanying music video, there are subtle references to what he's endured.

Including a mock press conference, featuring fictional news outlets such as Traitor Times and The Daily Polygraph, which is used during lie detector tests. Speaking to the Mirror, Conor said: "I've pretty much always poured what I'm going through into my music, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

"Since this was a pretty intense situation to go through over the last year and a half, it made sense to continue my usual process of putting it into my music." In the video accompanying the track, Conor makes a subtle nod to the extensive media coverage and social media abuse he received after Charlotte's public comments.

One lyric in the song is, "You talk too much, please shut up," but he admits that many of the lyrics were made in jest. He told us: "Obviously, a lot of the lyrics of the song are said somewhat in jest, but I think they mainly point to how this entire situation could have been avoided.

"I was always of the opinion that the whole thing could and should have been dealt with quietly and privately, especially since none of it had even been proven before it reached the court of public opinion. It had zero benefit from being so publicly carried out, but obviously, it's too late for that now; what's done is done. So I think that lyric kind of points to the fact that maybe it's sometimes better to deal with things properly before shouting them from the rooftops."

The Mirror understands that Conor only found out that Charlotte had made the claims so publicly when his team were inundated with emails asking for a comment on the allegations. But now, he admits he's in a better place and has been able to try and move on with his life, thanks to his supportive friends and family, but understands that this experience will stay with him for a substantial amount of time.

"I'm feeling ok," he told me. Conor went on to add: "Obviously, it's not an experience you can just forget about overnight; however, I've always had so many supportive people around me, and that hasn't changed. They help me every day to process this mess."

But after going through the ordeal, Conor has no ill-wishes towards Charlotte and Penelope. In the lyrics for Cherry On Top, he sings about how he feels "sorry for the other guy", while another lyric says: "Losing the fight for your relevance, I think it's time to let it go, so take a bow, you stole the show."

Following the second paternity test, Conor told fans in August: "Today I received the results of a second paternity test, which was requested by Charlotte Chilton regarding her baby girl, Penelope.

"As with the last test, this test has confirmed again that I am not Penelope's father. As Charlotte requested, Penelope's, Charlotte's and my DNA were all taken at a Ministry of Justice-accredited DNA testing facility that was selected by Charlotte.

"The results are therefore conclusive. This has been difficult for me and my family, and I'm so grateful for everyone's support. I'm glad we can now finally draw a line under this. I sincerely hope these results mean we can all find a way to move on with our lives. Conor."

A spokesperson for Charlotte later said she had "fought an extraordinary battle for truth and justice with heartfelt conviction" over the 12-month ordeal and would, in her own time, share her "story in full."

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