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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Seamus Duff

Maya Jama's ex-fiancé Ben Simmons 'moves on to date Hollywood actress'

While Maya Jama is merrily overseeing the couplings, re-couplings, break ups and heartfelt moments of Love Island her own love life is creaking apart in the background.

The 28-year-old TV host surprised fans in 2021 when she embarked on a high profile romance with Australian basketball hunk Ben Simmons, 26 - two years after her doomed romance with music star Stormzy, 29.

The attractive pair appeared to get on like a house on fire and were soon engaged - but the romance crumbled by August 2022 and reports have since emerged suggesting Ben demanded her $1 million (£800,000) engagement ring be returned.

Now it seems Ben has moved on - as he has been spotted out and about on a date with Hollywood actress Eiza Gonzalez in New York on Friday.

Maya Jama's ex-fiancé has moved on from her (INSTAGRAM)
Ben Simmons is said to be dating someone new (Getty Images)

A source blabbed to The Sun on Sunday: “The pair have been quietly getting to know each other for a while now and it feels like romance is on the cards.

“Ben wanted to draw a line under his relationship with Maya, hence demanding the ring back.”

Maya and Ben’s engagement lasted just eight months before it crashed and burned.

Ben was spotted on a date with Eiza Gonzalez on Friday (BACKGRID)
Maya and Ben were engaged in February 2022 but split by August (Instagram)

Last month, reports raged that Ben was demanding the expensive ring he proposed with back - and that legal proceedings had been launched to ensure the ring’s safe return.

One of Ben’s friends reportedly said at the time: "Ben was really shocked when she left and didn’t give him the ring back.

"He was madly in love with her and thought it was forever so was really p***ed she didn’t give it back. It cost around $1million and they were engaged less than a year."

The pair had first started dating in May 2021 before making it official two months later - and they went on to confirmed their relationship with an affectionate PDA at 2021's Wimbledon Tennis Championship that July.

But the relationship collapsed after they tried and failed to make a cross-Atlantic relationship work.

A source told the NY Post last year: "While they both care for each other so much, they truly gave it their all and realise that they just come from two different worlds.

"It's been a difficult time for them. They now understand they don't have the time they thought to dedicate to this relationship."

Maya dated Stormzy from 2015 until 2019 (WireImage)

The source also explained that the pair hope to stay in each other's lives, as "there is a lot of love between them".

Before Ben, Maya dated Stormzy, aka Michael Owuo Jr, from 2015 until 2019 - with the break-up inspired his 2019 song Lessons.

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