Lilly Becker has said that it is “hard to see my son’s father in such a situation” as her ex-hubby Boris Becker stands trial for failing to declare valuable assets before and after his bankruptcy.
The former Wimbledon champion appeared at Southwark Crown Court in London on Monday, accused of failing to disclose assets worth millions to the UK authorities when he declared bankruptcy in 2017.
Becker, 54, has been charged with 24 counts of hiding or failing to declare assets under the Insolvency Act.
The former tennis star denies all charges and the trial is expected to last up to three weeks.
Lilly Becker, 45, who split from Boris in 2018 after nine years of marriage, told the German newspaper Bild that it is “hard” for her to see him going through such a situation.
Lilly, who shares son Amadeus, 12, with the former Wimbledon champ, said: “It’s hard to see my son’s father in such a situation. I look at the start of this process with an uneasy feeling.
“Personal contact between us is almost exclusively related to our son. As is well known, a lot of unpleasant things have happened between Boris and me in recent years. But this process has nothing to do with that.”
When asked if she is keeping Amadeus informed about the court case, Lilly said: “We don’t talk about the process. Boris is accused of things that are criminal offences. He finally has the opportunity to refute all allegations before an objective court and be acquitted.”
“The case is not about me. Completely independent of the verdict, it is my job to give our son and myself the best possible home.”
Becker showed up at the London court with his girlfriend Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro, 33, after appearing in public with her for the first time during Wimbledon 2021.
Judge Deborah Taylor told the jury of 11 men and one woman to ignore Boris’ celebrity status and “leave aside anything you have heard or any preconceptions about this case, including anything about this defendant, and start with a blank page”.
The defendant is accused of concealing EUR 1.13 million from the sale of a Mercedes dealership in Germany, failing to declare two German properties, transferring funds to other bank accounts, failing to hand over his trophies, among others.
If convicted, Boris Becker faces up to seven years in prison. The trial continues.
