Ruthlessly vetting friends, hours holed up on gambling sites – and NEVER giving anything away: Just why is Cristiano Ronaldo so secretive?
WITH televised matches every week, endless press coverage and an Instagram where he broadcasts his life to 140 million followers, you'd think that we see enough of Cristiano Ronaldo to know everything about him.
But the truth is that the Juventus star is shrouded in secrecy, with very little known about his personal life despite the fact that he is one of the world's biggest names and is worth over £300 million.
This week, however, Ronaldo has found himself subjected to even more scrutiny than usual, after ex-model Kathryn Mayorga, 34, accused the footballer of raping her in a Las Vegas hotel in 2009.
Ronaldo, 33, denies any attack and says that sex was consensual. He posted a video branding her accusations “fake, fake news”.
But the spotlight on the A-list athlete this week has reminded many of his fans just how little is known about many aspects of his life.
As one source close to Ronaldo tells Sun Online: "Cristiano is an obsessively private character who prides himself on being something of a mystery.
“Even when he used to allow more people to hang out with him he never tended to give much if anything away while he was in their company.
"He’s always been a quiet, calculated type of guy in that respect but in recent years it’s gone up a whole new level."
'Auditioning' friends before they can hang out
Ronaldo is notorious for keeping his social circle tight, surrounding himself with a ring of steel for his own protection.
It has been reported that he often goes straight home after training sessions while his teammates hit the town and hang out.
In fact, he has so few close pals that Marcelo was said to be his only friend at Real Madrid last summer, leaving the star isolated in the dressing room.
But a source told us that Ronaldo is deliberately guarded - and even vets anyone he wants to spend time with.
“The only people he has around him now are those he believes he can implicitly trust," they said.
"Staff and even friends are put through a strict audition process, if you like, where they’re totally vetted and their backgrounds are raked over with a fine comb."
The hunky pal he 'visits for cuddles'
One of the biggest question marks about Ronaldo's personal life was raised in 2015, when it was sensationally claimed that the football star was in a gay relationship.
Allegedly, Ronaldo had been jetting to Morocco after training sessions for "cuddles" with his hunky kick-boxer friend, Badr Hari.
At the time, Ronaldo shared a series of photos on a holiday he took with Hari.
He was pictured lifted in Hari’s arms with the caption “Just married. Always there to pick you up, bro”.
The unfounded claims came despite all the women Ronaldo is known to have had relationships with, and despite the star saying in the past: "I’m at ease with my sexuality so it’s not a problem for me.”
However, that hasn't stopped some fans from speculating about Ronaldo's sexuality in the years since.
The strange case of Cristiano Jr's mother
Ronaldo's first son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr, has been the subject of much speculation.
Only Ronaldo, and those in his innermost circle, have any idea who the seven-year-old's mother is.
All we know is that Ronaldo got an American waitress pregnant in 2010, following a one-night stand.
A DNA test revealed that Ronaldo really was the dad, and his mother, Delores - a devout Roman Catholic - demanded that he take responsibility.
So the loaded football star took sole custody of the child and gave the mother a huge £10 million pay-off.
Speaking to chat show host Jonathan Ross, Ronaldo has said: "People speculate I was with this girl or another, or there was a surrogate mother. I have never told anyone and never will.
"When Cristiano [Junior] is going to grow up, I am always going to say the truth to him because he deserves it, because he is my son, but I am not going to say because people want me to say."
An unknown surrogate who gave him twins
Ronaldo's twins, Eva and Mateo, who were born in America last year, are swaddled in a similar mystery.
At the time, his girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez, wasn't expecting, although she has since given birth to Ronaldo's fourth child, Alana.
But when the twins came into the world, it was reported that it was with the help of a surrogate.
However, Ronaldo has never revealed who the mothers of his children are - although he insists that his kids won't be missing out by only having one parent, as his own father was an alcoholic who died when Ronaldo was twenty.
A source told us: “When he had these kids by USA surrogates, he went out of his way to protect their identity and ensure nobody could trace them.
"That was hugely important to him and the rumour is that he spent a fortune to employ extra privacy tactics before, during and after the process.
"To this day, nobody knows who the hell these women are and that’s rare when the world’s media has been unleashed to find out their names."
The model girlfriend who came from nowhere
Ronaldo's fiancee, Georgina, has been quick to offer her public support for the footballer in light of the rape allegations.
The 24-year-old model posted a statement on Instagram saying the former Manchester United hero was always able to "transform the obstacles"; put in his way.
But even Georgina's appearance in Ronaldo's life is unconventional and, in some ways, mysterious.
The Spanish beauty was working as minimum-wage a shop girl before she met Ronaldo at a Dolce & Gabbana event in 2016.
Ronaldo was smitten with her, and plucked her out of her old life to start a luxurious new existence by his side.
When she first started appearing in his Instagram posts, fans were left puzzled as to where Ronaldo had picked up the glamorous beauty.
But the truth is that she pretty much came from nowhere: one day she was working on the shop floor and the next she was engaged to Ronaldo, the mother of his child, and poised to take over the management of his multi-million pound fortune.
However, a source added: “He had some mixed experiences with girlfriends but seems to be happy now, not least because he can call the shots.
"He won’t tolerate pushy or bossy girls, and his girlfriend [Georgina] is extremely subservient, put it that way.”
The mystery of his new home in Italy
Before completing his £88 million move to Juventus this summer, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner lived in a luxury mansion in the suburbs of Madrid.
He was far from shy about posting shots of the ultra-modern pad on Instagram, and often shared pictures of his girlfriend Georgina and son Cristiano Jr. chilling in the house.
However, far less is known about where the forward is based now he’s playing in Italy.
It was reported that he was eyeing Zinedine Zidane’s old house – a modern eight-bedroom mansion which is available to rent at £35,000 per day.
But, as of yet, we don’t know for sure where the mysterious footballer is actually staying, and he may well want to keep it that way.
The alcoholic dad and controlling mum
Ronaldo himself has always had an unconventional and, at times, sad relationship with his parents.
His father, José, died in 2005 of an alcoholism-related liver condition, and Ronaldo still never drinks alcohol - a decision no doubt influenced by his father.
"My father was funny when he was drunk, but I didn't get to know him for real, from the heart," the footballer has said. "I don't know why he drank, maybe he was frustrated with his life.
"I wanted a different father, one who would be more present to see my achievements."
As for Ronaldo's mother, it's been reported that she is hugely controlling of her son's life... although it's never been clear why he lets her meddle so much in his private affairs.
For one, it was Dolores, now 59, who demanded that Ronaldo take charge when he got Cristiano Jr's mum pregnant.
She also reportedly vets all the women in the Juventus star's life, and was allegedly responsible for his break-up with Portugese TV presenter Merche Romero, because Dolores didn't like the age gap between her son and the 37-year-old.
Likewise, when Ronaldo broke up with Spanish model Nereida Gallardo over text, it was allegedly because his mum demanded it.
As a source told us: “By far his biggest confidante and adviser is his mother, whom he absolutely worships.
"She’s always on the scene and giving her verdict on everything from his career to parenting tactics and choice of girlfriends.
"He’s a proud mummy’s boy and has been ever since she raised him almost single-handedly as his dad apparently a pretty absent parent because of his alcoholism."
Shunning friends for gambling sites
Hiding behind anonymous usernames, Ronaldo is known to spend hours every week on high-stakes gambling websites.
The star has admitted in the past: "When I first joined Manchester United I’d never even heard of the internet.
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“Now I spend maybe 15 to 20 hours a week browsing. I’m a target for casinos and I get invited to celebrity tournaments, but I prefer to play online.”
And with few visitors calling at his home, it was reported that Ronaldo often went between training sessions without socialising with anyone at all.
It remains to be seen whether the move to Turin will help the star open up a bit more, or whether recent headlines will force the enigmatic athlete even further into his shell.