Adele's new beau Rich Paul lost childhood best friend 'in a senseless shooting'

Adele's new beau Rich Paul lost childhood best friend 'in a senseless shooting'
Adele's new beau Rich Paul lost childhood best friend 'in a senseless shooting'

They went Instagram official with their romance nearly one month ago.

And while there's plenty of mystery still surrounding Adele's relationship with new beau Rich Paul, fans are learning about a tragedy the sports mega-agent suffered through with the death of his childhood best friend.

According to a report in The Sun, Paul endured trauma, following the senseless killing of pal Kenneth Johnson, nicknamed Squirrel, that has been a driving force in Paul's career over the last two decades.

Traumatic: Adele's new boyfriend Rich Paul endured trauma when his childhood best friend was killed during what's been described as 'a senseless shooting' when he was 21

Traumatic: Adele's new boyfriend Rich Paul endured trauma when his childhood best friend was killed during what's been described as 'a senseless shooting' when he was 21

In a classic case of turning a poison into a positive, basketball superstar and client LeBron James has stated that he thinks Paul's challenges early on in his life helped fuel his desire to become a millionaire mogul in the sports world.

The loss of Johnson at aged 21, whom he describes as 'an unbelievable kid, killed for no reason' still haunts Paul.

Making the impact of the tragedy even worse, Johnson's girlfriend, Starr Hudson, was also murdered during the same incident. She was shot point-blank range when she jumped n top of him to cover his body while the shooter was firing the deadly shots. 

'His girlfriend loved him so much, you know what she did?' said Paul during an interview, adding, 'When the guy was standing over him, shooting him like this, she got on top of him. Guy killed them both. They buried them together. That's the type of s*** I've been through.'

Romance: The couple confirmed their romance when they sat court side at game five of the NBA Finals in Phoenix, Arizona on July 17

Romance: The couple confirmed their romance when they sat court side at game five of the NBA Finals in Phoenix, Arizona on July 17

Comfort in friends: The pair have mutual friends in common, which has helped in the progess of the relationship

Comfort in friends: The pair have mutual friends in common, which has helped in the progess of the relationship

Both Johnson and Hudson were shot two times as they were parked at a convenience store in July 2001.

Eventually, Maurice Freeman was arrested and found guilty of two counts of murder. 

A judge spared him a death sentence by lethal injection, and wound up sentencing him to a life sentence lasting a minimum of 50 years, which he's ben serving out at Ohio's North Central Correctional Institution.  

Not much is known about Adele's relationship with Paul, but it's possible the two have been an item since as early as May 2021.   

The couple, who have been 'inseparable' since the summer, have reportedly taken a huge step in the relationship by meeting 'each other's children.' 

The pop superstar, 33, is said to have already introduced her new man to her eight-year-old son, Angelo, whom she shares with ex-husband Simon Konecki, while the Skyfall hitmaker has also been spending time with Paul's three children.                      

And in a couple of more signs the romance has gone to the next level, they both sleep over at each other's places in Los Angeles, and they're at ease socializing with the other's friends.

'She feels really comfortable around him and is in a good headspace right now,' a source told E! News.

'Adele is very much in love with Rich and their relationship has become more

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