‘How I became best friends with my ex’s new wife’

Taylor Cole, 27, who shares son Beckham, three, with her ex Gentry Hatch, 27, admitted she was threatened by his new girlfriend and later wife Madison Hatch, 22.

The US women even fought when Taylor was upset by Madison posting pictures of her toddler on Instagram.

“I didn’t like Madison. No mum wants to be replaced and the idea that Beckham would like her more than me was hard,” Taylor said.

Madison added: “I made assumptions about who Taylor was as a person and I didn’t see things from her perspective.

“We didn’t really like each other but it wasn’t because of each other, it was because of the situation.”

Taylor, who is now also mum to Ledger, one, with her new husband Cameron, said it was difficult at first because of her strained relationship with Gentry.

“I met Gentry in college and we went out for two and a half years and I got pregnant by accident,” the Utah woman explained.

“It was a really big deal and a really stressful time. We ended up in courts fighting over custody – it was a very acrimonious split.

When he met Madison, things became even more tense as Taylor didn’t like how often her ex’s new partner was posting photos of her son Beckham.

“I just felt like I didn’t want someone showing off Beckham on the internet,” she said.

“I had a fight with Gentry about it which only caused more problems.

“I couldn’t have foreseen a time when we would be friendly.”

But now the pair have turned their relationship around and even consider themselves best friends, speaking to each other every single day and enjoying spa days.

They also celebrate holidays and co-parent Beckham together.

Relations between the women began to change when Madison reached out to Taylor to explain she had no intention of taking over her role as Beckham’s mother.

“I was posting pictures of Beckham like he was my child and from Taylor’s point of view, I was just the girlfriend,” Madison said.

“But for me those posts showed that I was serious about my relationship with Gentry.

When they spoke, she explained this, reassuring Taylor she was there for “extra support and extra love”.

“[After] She texted me saying: ‘If Beckham has to have another mum, I’m glad it’s you’.”

After, Madison invited Taylor and Cameron, 27, to her December 2019 wedding to Gentry, firming their bond in “an act of solidarity”.

Over the past 18 months, the women have grown so close that they speak daily and consider each other best friends.

“I think she’s my best friend, I tell her everything, we share a child,” sports reporter Taylor said.

“It’s a woman-to-woman relationship, not just mum-to-mum.

“We speak at least once every day.”

The pair also try to have a girls’ night at least once a month where they get massages and go for dinner.

They also go on holidays together and celebrate Beckham’s birthday and Christmas to ensure that one parent doesn’t have to miss out.

The pair have even set up a joint Instagram page, @steppedup.coparenting, to encourage other divorced parents to take the steps that will help them bond with their ex’s new partner.

The friends share their top tips to becoming friendly with your ex’s new significant other.

“Start doing little things together that will make you feel more comfortable in each other’s company,” Madison said.

“And finally have compassion for each other.

“Co-parenting is very emotional and you have to take a step back and look at it from the other person’s perspective.”