The car accident in Ibiza affects Leontine Ruiters not only physically, but also financially. Lawyer fees, medical bills and a trauma coach: it adds up. “I need EMDR.”
A drunken Englishman drove the wrong way at a roundabout in San Antonio and crashed head-on into the taxi carrying Leontine Ruiters and her daughter Jada Borsato. Both ended up in hospital: Leontine with bruised ribs because she did wear a seat belt, Jada with more serious injuries because she did not.
Head-on collision
Leontine herself shared a photo of it on Instagram, with a statement that raised more questions than it answered, and yesterday she spoke to the showbiz media for the first time on the red carpet of the Amsterdam Dinner.
She tells RTL Boulevard: “Three boys had taken the wrong side of the roundabout and were under the influence of drink and drugs. They hit us head-on.”
Eye of the needle
What does she think about the perpetrator having fled from the hospital? Leontine: “We didn’t know at the time the things that came out afterwards. I didn’t think that was very important at the time.”
“My main concern was that we, and especially my daughter, could recover and come out of it well. We are doing well, so I am very grateful for that. We also realize that we have gone through the eye of the needle.”
How is Jada?
How is her daughter? “Jada is recovering. She had a collapsed lung and fortunately it is gone. That is why we were allowed to fly home. Life goes on again, fortunately for both of us, and now we just recover quietly and see how things go.”
Her performances have been cancelled. “I hope to be back in a few weeks, yes. It wasn’t possible yet, but I think it will be fine in a week or two or three.”
Creak and vibrate
Presenter Frank Dane is shocked. “Wow, Aran, Leontine is very candid, but I think I still hear a crack and a tremor in her voice.”
Reporter Aran Bade: “I see the emotion, yes. She said to our reporter: ‘I wasn’t quite prepared for there being so much press.’ It is the first time she has talked about it and you can see that it has meant a lot to her.”
Legally
Aran notices that Leontine cannot yet see the back of her tongue. “She says: ‘I can’t say too much about it yet because it is still being considered legally.’ I think she filed a report. That driver cannot be found. Jada and Leontien have no one to bring to court, because he is not there.”
She will want to claim damages, he continues. “Jada will not be able to perform for the next two weeks.”
Trauma coach
And Leontine reveals to the camera Show news that expensive therapy is also coming. “I don’t think now is the time, but eventually there should be some kind of trauma coach to do EMDR or something.”
She sighs: “Yes, that seems sensible to me.”