Matthijs de Ligt continues to endure marriage woes, it is being reported, with the Manchester United defender seeing his estranged wife continue with her "exaggerated" spiritual journey. Netherlands international De Ligt tied the knot with model AnneKee Molenaar in June 2024, but said relationship is said to be on the verge of collapse due to the couple's lifestyle differences.
Social media posts tell story
AnneKee’s interest in all things spiritual is said to have driven a wedge between her and De Ligt. Her social media channels regularly feature posts relating to crystals, tarot cards and self-affirming quotes. It has previously been suggested, by , that De Ligt can "no longer handle AnneKee’s exaggerated spiriwiri-content".
It first emerged in July that tension in the De Ligt marriage was threatening to drive Matthijs and AnneKee apart. Dutch news outlet reported that their relationship was "definitely over". United centre-half De Ligt was said to have jetted off for a holiday in Ibiza by himself, having already spent a week alone in Barbados.
claimed: "Initially, there was talk of 'some time for themselves' and holidaying separately, but it is now reportedly definitely over. Matthijs is said to have travelled to Ibiza alone this week and was recently in Barbados."
AdvertisementDe Ligt's marriage to Dutch model
De Ligt and AnneKee dated for several years before tying the knot, having first got together when the former was making his senior breakthrough as a talented teenager with Eredivisie giants Ajax. The couple moved to Manchester together when a transfer to Old Trafford from Bayern Munich was completed in 2024. AnneKee’s interests should come as little surprise to her husband.
AnneKee is, however, said to have stepped up her spiritual interests since launching "Annie’s Alchemia". Her content relating to that line of work has intensified of late. She has revealed to her followers that she recently attended her first "cacao ceremony" – a gathering that involves drinking ceremonial-grade cacao, which is supposed to help nourish the heart and mind. She has also been promoting products connected to "Annie’s Alchemia" and tarot card reading. AnneKee has not featured on Matthijs’ feeds for almost two months.
One quote to feature in AnneKee’s posts reads: "Sometimes the universe takes you on a journey you didn't know you needed, to bring you everything you ever wanted. Trust the plan." According to the latest reports, she is heading down that path on her own.
Getty Images SportCancelled anniversary plans in Italy
The couple were said to be planning a party in Italy over the summer of 2025 to celebrate their wedding anniversary, with friends and family being invited along for the ride. Said event was cancelled as De Ligt soaked up sun elsewhere.
Late revision of plans is nothing new for the couple, with De Ligt having been forced to leave his own wedding early as he had to link up with the Netherlands squad for Euro 2024. AnneKee once told Dutch : "It's actually funny because the way the planning for our civil wedding went is a reflection of our relationship in general. At first, we planned to get married at the end of May, on our anniversary, but then it looked like Matthijs would make it to the Champions League final with Bayern Munich. So, we had to reschedule everything at the last moment."
De Ligt's on-field struggles
De Ligt is into his second season as a Manchester United player, having moved to Old Trafford for £39 million ($52m). He endured a testing debut campaign in England, as the Red Devils did as a collective, with inconsistency costing Ruben Amorim’s side a place in European competition for 2025-26.
More struggles have been endured at the start of the current campaign, leading to questions being asked of Amorim’s future, but United did return to winning ways last time out in a battling 2-1 victory over Chelsea. They will – with seven points being picked up from five games so far – be back in action on Saturday lunchtime when taking in a trip to Brentford.
