Title: Martine McCutcheon’s Estranged Mother Pleads for Reconciliation After Pushing Star Away Following Son’s Death

Martine McCutcheon’s Mother Pleads for Reconciliation Amid Family Tragedy and Personal Struggles

Jenny Tomlin, the estranged mother of EastEnders star Martine McCutcheon, has publicly begged for forgiveness after cutting ties with her daughter following the tragic death of Martine’s brother, Laurence “LJ” John, in 2022. In an emotional interview with OK! Magazine, Jenny, 69, admitted her grief over LJ’s passing led to an emotional breakdown, causing her to push Martine away.

[Image: Martine and Jenny smiling together in 2006.]

Jenny confessed she “detached” after losing LJ to acute ischemic heart disease and diabetes, leaving her unable to support Martine, 49, during their shared grief. “There was no big row—Martine tried to contact me for months, but I didn’t answer,” she said. “I abandoned her. I was so wrapped up in my own grief that I neglected my other child.”

The pair briefly reconnected in October 2023 when Martine asked Jenny’s husband for a favor, but the meeting was “awkward.” Plans to reunite at Christmas fell through, and Jenny’s attempts to reach Martine since have gone unanswered. Desperate, she recently drove to Martine’s Surrey home, “banged on the door, and shouted her name,” but received no response.

[Image: Martine and LJ sharing a laugh in a family photo.]

Jenny also revealed the estrangement has cost her a relationship with her 10-year-old grandson, Rafferty, which “felt like another death.” Comparing her pain to the Beckhams’ rumored rift with son Brooklyn, she added, “It’s heartbreaking to lose a child, whether through estrangement or death.”

Martine, meanwhile, faces personal turmoil. Recently declared bankrupt over debts to a finance company, she also saw her music company, Raven Music Ltd., liquidated in June due to significant unpaid tax bills. The bankruptcy filing followed her split from husband Jack McManus, with whom she sold their Surrey home for £1.35 million last year.

[Image: Martine and Jack McManus at a 2018 event.]

Jenny hopes her public plea will mend their relationship: “I don’t think I’ll ever stop trying. If I could speak to Martine, I’d tell her how sorry I am. I’ve lost one child—I don’t want to lose another.”

Martine’s representatives have not commented.

[Image: A younger Martine with her mother, brother, and grandmother.]

Jenny’s interview underscores the toll of unresolved grief and the fragility of family bonds. As both navigate heartbreak, she vows, “I don’t want to be another story of regret. I hope we can find our way back.”

— With reporting by OK! Magazine and MailOnline.