Maura Higgins 'in a bad way' after Danny Jones kiss backlash as pals defend her

Friends of Maura Higgins defend the star and urge restraint amid the furious Danny Jones backlash

Jungle star Maura Higgins is “in a bad way...and really struggling” according to pals who have rallied behind her in the wake of her drunken kiss with Danny Jones.

The star has flown to Los Angeles for a photoshoot amid the furore of her boozy clinch with the married McFly star. Friends of the star say that the last week has been “horrendous” as she has been deluged with “horrific” trolling on her social media.

A friend said: “Maura is a tough character but the reaction to events of the last week has been utterly relentless, and it’s fair to say it’s taken its toll. She has found all of this very difficult to navigate. She appreciates she’s in the public eye and there is extra interest around her, but the abuse is off the charts, and people need to calm down.”

Maura looked downcast as she was spotted at Los Angeles International Airport at the end of last week. She is in the city for a photoshoot. The friend added: “She is trying to treat things as business as usual, but it’s hard.”

The backlash kicked off following a video showing Danny, 38, and Maura, 34, sharing a brief boozy kiss on the lips at a BRIT Awards afterparty at around 3am.

The pair were seen smiling as they left the London bash together shortly after. A second video then emerged showing them together at another afterparty at the Nobu Hotel in Marylebone.

An onlooker previously said: "Danny and Maura seemed to be enjoying their night of partying. They were knocking back wine at the Nobu from 4am and seemed keen to carry on. They weren't seen leaving before 6am."

A source told the Mirror last week that Danny's behaviour has been a "slap in the face" for wife Georgia, 38, who is a former Miss England. The insider added: "She has been an incredible partner so this feels very unfair." The pair, who wed in 2014, have a seven-year-old son.

The source close to Danny's camp added the McFly guitarist was in crisis talks with his wife in a bid to save their relationship. The source added: "Maura is getting a lot of the backlash, and Danny seems to be getting away with his actions."

Leaving the country, Maura posted the photo of her airplane view on her Instagram story, writing on the image: "Exciting shoot" followed by a plane emoji. Her and Danny met when they appeared together in ITV1’s I’m A Celebrity in November. Writing in the 2012 band autobiography McFly — Unsaid Things . . . Our Story, Danny once said: “Georgia’s amazing for me. The old Danny, the kid in the sweetie shop every time pretty girls were around, is gone. I don’t want anybody else but her.”