[imagesource: Instagram / @eltonjantjies]

If ever you needed another reason not to believe those PR statements released by a player in the wake of a scandal, Elton Jantjies has you covered.

Back in September, when allegations swirled that Jantjies and Springbok dietician Zeenat Simjee had been romantically involved, the flyhalf issued a strongly worded denial of any wrongdoing.

In the statement, he said that “Simjee was never with me at either of the two guest houses that I stayed at. She is a good friend and nothing more.” Later, he added, “that her good name is now being dragged through the mud is a shame”.

Simjee (pictured below) also issued a denial and claimed she was “devastated by the fact that a journalist and his newspaper could publish such damaging allegations on false and baseless hearsay”.

Well, the denials from Jantjies are done after an interview with News24, “hours before he boarded a flight to Cyprus to be with his family”.

Iva Ristic, his wife (pictured above), and their three children flew to Cyprus last week.

[He] has come clean, admitting they had an affair for several months… [and] said he was ashamed and saddened by his own actions and has taken time to reflect.

“This has not been an easy ride for me. I’ve had to take a really hard look at my life and the choices I made in the past.

Image: LinkedIn / Zeenat Simjee

“I know my actions have caused a great deal of pain to everyone, especially my wife who has always been by my side. I have apologised to her and have made it my mission to make it up to her for as long as I live,” said Jantjies.

Jantjies recently spent time in a rehabilitation centre in Hout Bay, with sources that spoke to City Press stating that he was being treated for drug addiction.

However, he denied that was the case and said he was being treated for injuries sustained while playing rugby, as well as insomnia after becoming reliant on sleeping pills.

He said when news broke of his involvement with the team’s dietician, he blindly trusted people who said they would do damage control and issue a statement on his behalf…

“I deeply regret allowing them to tell a story that I should’ve clearly handled myself. The statement put out into the media was not written by me; I understand that at the time, a statement needed to be issued on the articles being published about me.”

The Springbok also went on the record to say that he was “amazed” that Simjee was allowed to return to work, while he has been dropped from the squad altogether after being sent home from Argentina during the Rugby Championship.

Iva said she had long suspected her husband was cheating and told News24, “I don’t think I will ever be romantically involved with Elton again.”

That echoes what she has said in previous interviews.

The Springbok has posted numerous times about his family on social media over the past two weeks. Yesterday, he was at the shooting range:

 

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A post shared by Elton Jantjies (@eltonjantjies)

Simjee, on the other hand, has her account set to private and has yet to publicly respond to the admission of guilt from Jantjies.

[source:news24]