Credit: Instagram
Jim Edmonds faced backlash on Instagram on Monday after wishing his girlfriend, Kortnie O’Connor, a happy birthday with a heartfelt message and slideshow of photos.
After sharing the post, the former Real Housewives of Orange County cast member and ex of Meghan King Edmonds was accused of putting more focus and attention on the model than his children, including the three kids he shares with his estranged wife.
“Happy birthday [Kortnie],” Jim began in his October 5 post. “To the most amazing, strong, courageous, loving, selfless, caring, daring person I have ever met. I could never put into words what you mean to me and my family. They say God puts people in lives for a reason. For the first time in my life I truly believe this.”
“It’s like you came along and turned the light on in my heart again. Some thing that I didn’t think was going to be possible again,” Jim continued. “I just wanted to take this opportunity to tell you how much I love you and thank you for being you!”
“YOU ARE MY FAVORITE!” he added.
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Following the post, a woman accused Jim of prioritizing his relationships over his kids and recommended he seek help from Dr. Laura Schlessinger, a relationship expert and talk show host.
“If only you worried about your children as much as you do about your personal relationships,” the person wrote.
In response, Kortnie assured the Instagram user that Jim’s children are just fine before slamming her negativity.
“His children are more than fine and have a lot of love. Keep the negativity to yourself,” she advised.
In a second message, the same fan said Jim’s children need “all the help they can get” as they grow up in a split home, not “their parents in relationships with their attention elsewhere.”
“Keep your negativity to yourself,” Kortnie replied, also encouraging the woman to “unfollow” her boyfriend.
In addition to Kortnie’s responses to the woman, Jim and his daughter, Hayley Edmonds, also weighed in, with Hayley telling the woman to “mind [her] own business” and “f off.”
“How about you eat sh*t,” Jim added.
Around the time she came to her father’s defense in a comment, Hayley shared her own tribute to Kortnie on her birthday.
“Thank you for making my dad the happiest,” she wrote in the caption of a photo of the three of them.
Jim filed for divorce from ex Meghan in October 2019 after five years of marriage.