Chris Eubank Jr reveals his brother's death 'destroyed' his relationship with his famous father - and says he must 'get over his demons' for them to ever speak again

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Chris Eubank Jr has opened up about the fractured relationship with his father, British boxing legend Chris Eubank Sr, revealing that the pair have struggled to reconnect since the tragic death of his brother Sebastian in 2021.

Speaking ahead of his blockbuster showdown with Conor Benn on 26 April, Eubank Jr admitted that his father's likely absence from his corner would be felt, but the distance between them runs far deeper than boxing.

Eubank Jr and Benn are set to reignite their families' fierce rivalry at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, more than three decades after their fathers famously clashed in the ring.

Nigel Benn, who fought Eubank Sr twice in the 1990s, will be by his son's side on fight night – but there is no certainty that Eubank Sr will be there for his own son.

Discussing the rift between himself and his father on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Eubank Jr revealed that his desire to forge his own path was the first major wedge between them.

'It got to a stage where I needed to step out of the shadow completely,' he said, sitting alongside Conor Benn, with security guards separating the pair.

Chris Eubank Jr (pictured) opened up this week about the death of his brother and how the tragic event in 2021 affected his relationship with father  Chris Eubank Sr

Eubank Jr pictured alongside his spectacled father after a fight with Billy Joe Saunders in 2014

Former two-weight world champion Chris Eubank Sr pictured after his son became the IBO Super-Middleweight champion by beating James DeGale in 2019

'It's a big shadow. [Conor is] also in a big shadow. Mine was a blessing, too, but it got to a stage where I realised: 'I have to separate myself from this huge character that's always next to me.' 

'[Conor is] different. His father kind of let him do his own thing and jump in and sink or swim. My old man was always next to me, and it got to a stage where I decided that I needed to walk my own path. He was not happy with that decision. That's the start of it.'

While the decision to distance himself from his father was difficult, Eubank Jr admitted that the real turning point came after the sudden passing of his younger brother, Sebastian, in 2021.

The 29-year-old was found dead on a beach in Dubai, a tragedy that had a profound impact on their entire family.

'Then you have the situation with my brother passing away. That affected him in a deep way – it affected all of us. Mental health is a real thing,' Eubank Jr explained.

'That incident, coupled with the fact that we were already not seeing eye to eye, destroyed a large part of the relationship. And it still doesn't seem to have recovered.'

Eubank Jr admitted that he has made efforts to rebuild the bond, but it remains unclear whether his father is willing to reciprocate.

'Of course [I've reached out]. No, no he hasn't [rebuffed me]. He needs to be able to get over whatever demons he's fighting. 

Eubank Jr and Conor Benn were separated by security guards on Piers Morgan Uncensored

Conor Benn (right) pictured alongside his father, Nigel Benn, last month at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ahead of April's fight against Eubank Jr at the same venue

'Now, this fight is either gonna enable him to get over those demons or unfortunately it's gonna make those demons grow. I don't know.'

Despite their strained relationship, Eubank Jr still hopes his father will be there to support him when he steps into the ring against Benn.

'I still hope he's there on the night, just like [Benn's] old man will be. I honestly don't know. I hope and I pray that he is [there], and I will do things to try and get him there. But if he isn't, guess what? I'm still gonna go out there and do the job.'

The family rift has become an underlying storyline ahead of the highly anticipated fight, which was initially scheduled for 2022 before Benn failed two drug tests.

Their clash has been years in the making, but while Benn has his father firmly in his corner, Eubank Jr is still waiting to see if his will answer the call.