JEROME Boateng tried it on with a Playboy model behind his fiance’s back at the same time as being pictured with yet another girl, she has claimed.
Melissa Howe said she wanted to speak out following the death of the former Man City star’s ex girlfriend Kasia Lenhardt because she felt like he – and other soccer stars – have been “playing games with girls’ lives” and don’t realise the impact their cheating has on women’s mental health.
Former Playboy model Melissa Howe claims Jerome tried it on with her while he was engagedCredit: Melissa Howe
Kasia was found dead at her home in Germany on TuesdayCredit: kasia_lenhardt/Instagram
She had been dating the soccer star for some monthsCredit: kasia_lenhardt/Instagram
He had finished with Kasia last weekCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Tragic Kasia was found dead at her home on Tuesday aged 25 – a week after Boateng announced he had ended the relationship and accused the model of blackmailing him.
Kasia had hit back accusing the soccer star of “constant infidelity” and was also involved in a war of words with another ex Rebecca Silvera, who claimed Kasia had stolen the Bayern Munich star from her.
It is not yet known how Kasia died and cops have confirmed there was no foul play suspected in her death.
Now in an exclusive interview with The Sun, former Playboy model Melissa said: “I’m not surprised that with the way that guys like Jerome mentally mess around with girls and play with their minds and emotions that it would lead to craziness like this.
“I’m shocked that there has been a death – I really am – but I think Jerome has been playing games with girl’s lives for so long and something was going to happen eventually, whether it was this or something else.”
Melissa said she first met Boateng at the Libertine club in London on 16 September, 2016 and he took a shine to her and started messaging her.
He then flew from Germany to see her and invited her to meet him at an NFL after party on October 2 in London.
However some weeks later – after weeks of messaging each other – Melissa saw a magazine article that mentioned he had a “wife” – and then saw him pictured with model Rebecca, who he later started dating.
“I first met Jerome at Libertine in London and he was quite obsessive – he would stalk my social media – every single thing I put up he’d be the first to watch it,” Melissa said.
“Then he asked me to meet him at this NFL after party and he flew over from Germany on a Sunday to meet up with me.
“I remember there were paps outside so he told me to get a seperate taxi from him but we carried on messaging each other for ages.
“He wanted me to come to Germany. We never actually slept together but I fully thought we were casually dating and I was the only girl.
“Then one day I walked into Selfridges and I saw a magazine with him on the cover and the article said that they were interviewing him while his wife looked on in the corner and I thought, ‘What the hell? I didn’t know he was married’.
“Later I found out it wasn’t his wife but a fiance, they had just described her as a wife.
Melissa said Boateng flew in from Germany to see herCredit: Melissa Howe
She said he used to ‘stalk ‘ her social mediaCredit: Melissa Howe
Melissa said she was shocked to find out Bouteng had a partner and kids while he was messaging herCredit: Melissa Howe
The model said she also saw Boateng pictured with Rebecca Silvera while he was messaging herCredit: Instagram
Rebecca started dating the soccer ace until he cheated on her with KasiaCredit: Facebook
“But still he’d been messaging me and acting like he was single, when he actually had a partner and kids.
“Then around this same time he was also pictured with another woman Rebecca Silvera – so he had the fiance, Rebecca and was still messaging me and meeting me.
“I decided just to break it off with him – I just didn’t talk to him after that. I’m not dealing with a guy like that – it’s too much drama. Why would I want to go near that?”
Boateng has had a tumultous love life, dating model and the mother of two of his kids Sherin Senler between 2007 and 2011 before breaking up amid claims he cheated on her.
They then got back together and got engaged in 2014 but split again in 2018, after she accused him of assaulting her by throwing a glass candle holder at her. Lawyers for Boateng have denied the claim.
He also has a child with an unknown woman and has been linked with model Gina Lisa Lohfink.
He then began seeing model Rebecca Silvera, who he confessed he cheated on with Kasia.
Boateng has had a dramatic love lifeCredit: AP:Associated Press
His ex Sherin Senler has accused him of assaultCredit: instagram
Kasia was his latest girlfriendCredit: kasia_lenhardt/Instagram
Both Kasia and Sherin have accused him of being a serial cheater.
Rebecca took to Instagram in December and accused Kasia of stealing the soccer star from her and “destroying” their relationship.
In an interview with German outlet Bild last week, Boateng admitted cheating on Rebecca but laid the blame on Kasia, claiming she had blackmailed him and had an alcohol problem.
“Kasia became my girlfriend by breaking the relationship with my ex-girlfriend Rebecca and my family and blackmailing me,” he said.
“So I decided to stick with Kasia and try to make it work. Even making the relationship with her public was due to pressure from Kasia to do so. It wasn’t mine.
“During our relationship, Kasia often threatened to destroy me. She threatened to ruin my career and even try to make me lose my children.”
Both Karia and Sherin have called him a serial cheatCredit: Getty
He claimed Kasia broke up his relationship with RebeccaCredit: kasia_lenhardt/Instagram
Rebecca accused her of stealing her man on InstagramCredit: Instagram
Melissa, who did not know Kasia, said although she didn’t want to blame anyone for the model’s tragic death, she did not think that Boateng had taken enough responsibility for how he treated the women in his life.
“It’s really upsetting but I can understand what Kasia might have been going through because I’ve dated footballers and seen friends go through it too,” she said.
“A lot of these guys make you feel like you’re the only one, like you are their whole world and you believe them and then when you find out there are other girls – it is like your whole world has ended.
“We obviously don’t yet know the full story behind Kasia’s death and I don’t want to lay the blame at anyone or be insensitive to her.
“But at the same time this is a guy who has been messing with girls for years and of course something bad is going to happen, you’re playing with people’s emotions.
“It can destroy you mentally and not everyone can cope with that. And then there was the back and forth with the ex Rebecca online so that made it even worse.
Melissa urged women not to attack each other when a man cheatsCredit: Melissa Howe
She says she understood what Kasia may have been going throughCredit: kasia_lenhardt/Instagram
“And combine that with the pandemic and maybe she felt isolated – I know it is very strict in Germany right now.
“Situations are heightened in lockdown, it makes everything 10 times worse, it’s so sad.
“I’m pretty strong minded but when I saw the magazine that mentioned his wife even I had a weird feeling in me, I felt sick that someone would lie so easily.”
Melissa, who starred alongside Rebecca in a VH1 show called She’s Got Game, also urged women not to turn on each other – when it’s the man in the wrong.
“I knew Rebecca from the show so I messaged her when I saw that she was posting stuff about Kasia and Jerome and I told her that Jerome was messaging and meeting up with me when he was pictured with her,” she said.
“I said she shouldn’t waste her time on guys like him.
Boateng admitted cheating on his ex RebeccaCredit: EPA
But he claimed Kasia had ‘blackmailed’ himCredit: Instagram / @kasia_lenhardt
“She read it but she didn’t reply so I think it must have shocked her too. She knows I have been in the same circles as him so she knows it’s legit.
“I just feel like the girls arguing about Jerome, it’s just really sad.
“He’s the one who is cheating and they are taking it out on each other. And obviously now Kasia is dead and it’s likely that drama probably has something to do with it, it’s really, really sad.
“Jerome cheats on girls and then he’ll play the innocent card and you’ve got girls fighting over him.”
Melissa said she feels lucky that she never took her relationship with Jerome any further.
“I’m just glad I had the right instinct when it came to Jerome because I did like him at first but then reading how girls are fighting over him – I’m just so glad I broke it off,” she said.
“I don’t think he’s owning up or taking responsible for the hurt he’s causing. It’s causing people huge mental distress.
Kasia’s friends have paid tribute to her on social mediaCredit: Instagram
Melissa says she glad she never took it further with BoatengCredit: Melissa Howe
“When it comes to Jerome I’ve already blasted him on Facebook, I think he’s a loser and it’s sad that women are beating each other down for something which is his fault. It’s very sad.
“He was very dishonest in the way he approached everything with me. He made out he was 100 percent single and alone 24 hours a day.
“Even on his Snapchat he would put pictures up where it looks like he’s completely on his own.”
Melissa said she wanted to warn women about the behavior of certain footballers – saying that many of them think it’s a joke to cheat on women.
“I think girls need to be really careful when it comes to dating footballers like Jerome,” she said.
“I’ve seen things like this so many times – many of them think they can treat girls however they like and it can really destroy their mental health.
“And then the girls turn on each other when it’s the man they should be mad at not the other female. It’s embarrassing.
“Men should be more careful with women’s mental health – because they think it’s all a joke and it really isn’t.”
The Sun reached out to a rep for Boateng for comment.
You’re not alone
SUICIDE is the 10th leading cause of death in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Leading Causes of Death Report from 2018.
There were “more than two and half times as many suicides” in the US than there were homicides, according to the report.
For people ages 10 and 34, suicide was the “second leading cause of death” and the fourth for individuals ages 35 to 54.
Suicide is a vital health concern in the U.S. It affects all genders, races and ages.
This is why The-Sun.com launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The campaign calls on readers to discuss their mental health issues with their family, friends and health professionals. We can all pitch in to help out others who may be suffering and help save lives.
If you are struggling to cope, you are not alone. There are many free and confidential programs in the US aimed to help those who are struggling with their mental health.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health problems, these organizations are here to provide support:
Model girlfriend Kasia Lenhardt of ex-Man City star Jerome Boateng found dead a week after the couple announced split More
