Phil Foden sought legal advice after a disgusting online troll claimed one of his children had died and another has cancer - with his partner, Rebecca Cooke, now addressing the vile instances
Phil Foden has sought legal advice for false claims online(Image: NurPhoto, NurPhoto via Getty Images)View 2 Images
Phil Foden has been compelled to seek legal advice following an internet troll's vile false claims that one of his children had died and another was battling cancer.
The 25-year-old star sought legal counsel after the fabricated stories began circulating on social media. Rebecca Cooke, the mother of the Manchester City player's children, also felt the need to publicly address the false allegations herself.
Rebecca, 24, and the England international are parents to three children, and she felt compelled to respond publicly after being inundated with messages about the fake stories, reports the Daily Star. She posted: "We are aware of the pages and accounts spreading these stories.
"They are completely false and very disturbing. I don't understand how people can make up these things about anyone, especially children. It's sickening.
"We are all absolutely fine thank god and thank you for all your concerns we are doing everything we can to stop them. Please report any posts or pages you come across sharing these false stories."
The cruel stories began circulating on Facebook, with trolls falsely claiming that their six-year-old son, Ronnie, had passed away. Another made-up story from a troll using the name Man City Fan Lover created a fake "confession" from Foden about his four year old daughter True, stating: "My Little Girl has Cancer," reports the Mirror.
These fictitious accounts were accompanied by AI-generated images showing Foden and Rebecca in tears, with the sheer volume of posts causing his name to trend online. Foden made a late appearance in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening, helping City advance to the quarter-finals of the tournament.
Rebecca Cooke has been forced to respond to the vile claimsView 2 Images
Swansea City initially looked set to shock Pep Guardiola's side when Gonçalo Franco scored in the 12th minute. However, by half-time, Manchester City had levelled the score thanks to Jeremy Doku.
Additional goals in the second half from Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki secured City's victory. They will now face Brentford in the quarter-finals, with the match scheduled for December.
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