Shaughna Phillips Baby Dad Drama: Why She Took Her Daughter to See Him in Prison

The internet rejoiced over what appeared to be a touching chapter in the former Love Island star’s life when Shaughna Phillips announced the birth of her daughter Lucia in April 2023. But that happiness was accompanied by a less dramatic headline: Billy Webb, her longtime partner and the father of the child, was recently given a nine-year prison sentence for his role in a £360,000 cocaine conspiracy. The contrast between new life and legal collapse was strikingly stark, and the timing felt cruel.

The thought of raising a child with someone incarcerated would be intolerable to many. However, Shaughna, who is known for her openness and unvarnished honesty, decided to accept the situation with dignity. She talked about the emotional struggle that accompanied taking Lucia to see her father in prison in interviews and podcast episodes. She remarked, “This was never the life I imagined.” Nevertheless, she was carrying a baby through prison gates and metal detectors because she felt their daughter should know her father, not because she approved of Billy’s behavior.

Her reasoning was very clear: shame that isn’t theirs shouldn’t be passed down to kids. Every decision Shaughna has made since Billy’s conviction has been guided by that principle, including her choice to keep co-parenting even though visiting required navigating prison procedures. Even though it is controversial, that viewpoint is especially brave in a setting where influencers’ lives are frequently minimized to carefully manicured perfection.

The reaction was instantaneous. Social media provided its typical assessment. Some questioned the impact of those visits on a child so young, while others claimed she was setting an example of poor boundaries. Shaughna, however, refused to give up. She reminded her followers that parenthood rarely goes as planned and that it’s easy to pass judgment if you’ve never experienced that kind of internal turmoil, betrayal, or loss. Together with her friend Holly, she co-hosted the podcast “Oh Baby,” which combined parenting tips with candid stories of loss, anxiety, and brittle fortitude to create an unexpectedly healing outlet.

The dynamics changed once more when Billy was released early in late 2024. After only a year of service, he abruptly returned to Shaughna and Lucia’s lives. The reunion was presented as a miracle and captured on camera in festive Instagram reels and warm Christmas photos. “If you had told me last year that Billy would be holding Lucia as she met Santa… I wouldn’t have believed you,” Shaughna wrote in a particularly tearful caption. Although joyous, her feeling recognized the skepticism she still harbored.

The return was viewed as a redemption arc by some fans. For others, it was a warning. Unquestionably, though, Shaughna’s life no longer conforms to the same pattern. She is more than just a former Irishwoman who is now a mumfluencer. She is a woman negotiating an exceptionally difficult set of circumstances with uncommon vulnerability—and remarkably relatable bewilderment.

When she recently disclosed that she is pregnant once more, that confusion only grew. Many people were delighted by her announcement, which was made with a humorous video of Lucia wearing a “Big Sis” t-shirt. However, one thing caught their attention: she failed to identify the father. A flurry of conjecture was triggered by the omission. Was Billy romantically back in her life, or had someone else taken his place? Her lack of action on that front was quite telling. And that silence was, in a sense, empowering. She was setting a boundary, maybe to maintain a little privacy in a very public life, but not because she was ashamed.

Particularly under such extreme strain, the stress of single parenting had obvious consequences. Shaughna talked candidly about how the emotional strain of those first few months caused her to gain weight, turn to comfort food, and generally neglect her personal hygiene. She was shocked to learn that she was obese and that there was visceral fat surrounding her organs after seeing her doctor after Lucia’s first birthday. She reminded her audience that it’s dangerously easy to forget to take care of yourself, even when you’re taking care of a child, with her incredibly personal thoughts on the health scare.

For fans who identify with her journey, her openness about her physical and mental health has been especially helpful. She has reframed nutrition and exercise as strategies for longevity, practicality, and self-respect rather than as purely aesthetic endeavors. Her statement, “If I wouldn’t let Lucia eat that, why am I?” was a call to redefine self-love as self-control rather than indulgence, not merely a critique of snacking habits.

In certain respects, Shaughna’s public persona is changing from the Love Island cliché to something quite distinct. She leans toward discomfort, whereas many reality TV alums favor product endorsements and glitzy lifestyle content. She is normalizing difficult discussions about unreliable family structures, emotional eating, single motherhood, and partners who are incarcerated. And she’s doing it while creating room for happiness.

Regardless of one’s perspective on Billy Webb’s crime, his return has presented a very human tale of reconciliation, reconciliation, and the reconstruction of something brittle. It’s unclear if they are romantically reunited, but what makes their situation interesting to watch is the emotional foundation they’re trying to establish as co-parents. Shaughna has said, “Lucia deserves her father,” and if anything, that belief strengthens her public persona.