Geri Horner is reportedly devastated after her beloved brother Max Halliwell died suddenly at the age of 54.
It is believed her older brother collapsed at his home where he was taken to intensive care where doctors tried their best to save him.
The Spice Girls singer was in the Middle East with her husband Christian as the Formula One racer prepared for the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday when concerns about Max’s health were raised.
Friends close to the celebrity couple have said that she was “incredibly close” with her brother as the family slowly come to terms with the tragic news of his passing.
A source close to Geri told The Sun: “This is the most awful, devastating, heartbreaking news and Geri is utterly broken by it.
“It has been a terribly traumatic time since the moment she heard Max has been taken to hospital, and the worst outcome which everybody close to the family hoped might not be.”
The insider added: “They are all rallying together but she barely knows what to say or think just now – she loved him dearly.”
Geri cried on her brother’s shoulder when she quit the Spice Girls in 1998, where he whisked her off to Paris to help her clear her head in the midst of the enormous media storm.
Max stayed out of the media as much as possible and pursued a career in technology as he went on to work for an eco-friendly technology firm before his death.
Police have said the loving brother was taken to Watford General Hospital after he was at his home.
(Image: GETTY)
A Hertfordshire Constabulary spokeswoman said in a statement: “Police were called at 9.40am on Wednesday 17 November to report the concern for welfare of a man at a residential property in Berkhamsted.
“Officers, along with the East of England Ambulance Service attended the scene. The man was located and taken to hospital for treatment, where he sadly later died.
“His death is being treated as non-suspicious and will be referred to the coroner.”
(Image: Redferns)
After the news hit the headlines, a spokesman for Geri has told The Sun: “As you can imagine this is a difficult time and we would ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this time.”
Both Max and Geri supported each other following the untimely death of their father Laurence in 1993 after he suffered a heart attack.
In 2010, Geri appeared on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories where her brother featured on the ITV docuseries to speak about his sister’s impressive singing skills.
(Image: ITV)
Max gave viewers an insight into what life was like growing up with Geri as a sister and how the pair dealt with the sudden death of their father prior to her pop career.
He said: “Young Geri was always wanting to be the centre of attention. I think Geri doted heavily on her father.
“Maybe because of the attention that my father gave her as regards to her potential. He obviously saw something early on, so I’d call her a bit of a daddy’s girl, definitely.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
