Molly-Mae and Maura Higgins' friendship 'hanging on by thread' after Danny Jones kiss

Former Love Island co-stars, Maura Higginsand Molly-Mae Hague, who were once publicly inseparable, are reportedly experiencing a lot of tension in their current friendship.

The friends, who met on Love Island in 2019 and who have shared years of personal and professional highs and lows, appear to have drifted apart amid competing business ventures and recent personal controversies including Maura's scandious BRIT Awards kiss with Danny Jones.

Insiders have claimed that friction has surfaced as the two women’s beauty lines launched in close succession with one another. Last week, Maura, 34, posed in a head-to-toe pink ensemble to promote her Gloss It Yourself L’Oreal collection.

However, less than 15 minutes later, Molly-Mae, 26, and her team released the Beauty Works x Molly-Mae Curl Collection, fueling speculation of professional rivalry.

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"The two girls recently had product launches just days apart. Some people noticed and wondered whether they were going head-to-head, and there was even talk on how Maura was trying to ‘get one up’ on Molly, but regardless if she was or wasn’t, it just highlights how much they have drifted recently,” an insider said.

Maura and Molly-Mae's history on Love Island also plays a role in their complex relationship. During the 2019 series, while Molly-Mae's romance with Tommy Fury developed, Maura repeatedly attempted to pursue the boxer herself, a move that initially caused tension but did not prevent the two from forming a strong friendship.

Over the years, they publicly supported each other through personal challenges, with Maura posting messages such as “LOVE and ADORE YOU” during Molly’s breakup with Tommy last year before she attended key events including the premiere of Molly-Mae's Amazon documentary, Behind It All.

However, sources say the friendship suffered a significant strain six months ago, after Maura was photographed sharing a drunken kiss with married McFly guitarist Danny Jones, 39, following their stint on I'm A Celebrity.... Get Me Out of Here!.

"It gave her the ick seeing one of her best friends kissing a married man – she just couldn’t get her head around it and why she did it, especially after she knew how devastating it was for Molly having to cope with Tommy’s cheating rumours that she faced just a few months before that drunken kiss," an insider told Fabulous.

"Although she says it was a drunken mistake, Molly has no sympathy. She was pretty sad to see a woman do that to another woman,” the insider added.

Danny, who had been married to Georgia Horsley for ten years, issued a public apology at the time, stating he wanted “to deeply apologise to my wife and family for putting them in this situation.”

While Molly and Maura have not had a direct confrontation, the insider added that Molly has quietly distanced herself, feeling that Maura’s social media presence since the incident has been “a bit classless” and may have further highlighted their growing differences.

Since rekindling her relationship with Tommy, Molly has focused on family life, spending time at their Cheshire home with two-year-old daughter Bambi and balancing work commitments.

"The truth is she doesn’t have much in common with Maura right now – they’re just worlds apart," the source said.

However, the insider stressed that despite the distance, Maura and Molly are still close, adding that they are "maybe not as close as they were, but they still love and support each other."

Despite their strong bond and years of friendship, it has been claimed that their busy schedules and life priorities have naturally limited their time together.

The Mirror has approached both Maura and molly-Mae's representatives for comment on this story.

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