Olivia Nervo, half of the internationally renowned DJ duo Nervo, has revealed that her former partner Matthew Pringle deliberately deceived her about his other relationships and children while she was pregnant, in what legal advocates call a clear case of reproductive coercion. The Australian-born musician met Pringle in November 2016 at Richard Branson's Necker Island resort, and by the time she was six months pregnant in 2018, discovered he had been in relationships with two other women — one also pregnant with his child. Her story was cited by MP Natalie Fleet in a March parliamentary debate calling for reproductive coercion to be made a standalone criminal offence in the UK.

115 days in 22 cities: The whirlwind romance that masked a hidden life

According to Nervo's account, the early relationship with Pringle was marked by extravagant gestures and constant travel. In their first year of dating, they spent 115 days together in 22 different cities as her DJ career took her around the world. Pringle, whose family are multi-millionaires and who owns honey businesses including Manuka Doctor, would fly out to meet her at a moment's notice. Nervo has said that nothing about his demeanour screamed wealth; they would order pizza in her hotel room.. but behind the romance, Pringle was concealing multiple ongoing relationships — a pattern that would only emerge two years later.

The 'honey king' and his hidden family: What Matthew Pringle concealed

The source reports that Pringle, dubbed the 'honey king' in business circles, had already fathered at least one child that Nervo knew nothing about, and was in a relationship with another woman who was pregnant with his second baby at the same time Nervo was carrying his child. Nervo has said he deliberately hid these facts because he knew she would not have continued the relationship if she had known the truth. The deception, she argues, amounts to reproductive coercion: manipulating a person's choice over pregnancy as a means of control.

Why MP Natalie Fleet says the law still fails victims of reproductive coercion

During a March debate in the House of Commons, MP Natalie Fleet raised Nervo's case as a prime example of why the law needs to change . In the UK, reproductive coercion is currently recognised only as a form of controlling or coercive behaviour under the Serious Crime Act — not as a standalone offence.. Fleet has argued that this legal gap leaves victims without adequate protection. 'Liv's story exposes a form of domestic abuse that our legal system in the UK still struggles to recognise,' Fleet said, according to the source. 'This is reproductive coercion. It is about control over a woman's body, her choices and her future.'

A High Court judge called it 'reprehensible' — but not a crime

Despite the egregious nature of the behaviour, a High Court judge in Nervo's case reportedly said he was unlikely to find that Pringle's actions amounted to reproductive coercion under existing law, even while branding them as 'reprehensible' and falling under the heading of domestic abuse. The disconnect between judicial language and legal definitions underscores the very gap that advocates want closed. The source notes that the judge's remarks came in a civil context, but the reluctance to use the criminal label highlights how far the legal framework lags behind the lived experience of survivors.

Pringle's other children and partners: What the public record doesn't show

Key details remain unknown to the public: how many children Pringle has fathered in total , the identities of the other women involved, and whether any of them have pursued legal action. The source mentions that Pringle's mother, Lynette Erceg, who for years ranked as New Zealand's richest woman, never met Nervo despite repeated attempts. No statements from Pringle or his legal representatives appear in the source, leaving his account of events — and any possible defense — entirely absent from the record. these unanswered questions matter because they affect how future cases of reproductive coercion might be prosecuted or proven in court.