Danny Cipriani has shared a message sent to him by Caroline Flack before her death.
The rugby player said he is “grieving hard” after the Love Island host took her own life at the age of 40.
The pair dated last year and 32-year-old Cipriani posted a screenshot on Instagram of a recent WhatsApp exchange between the pair.
After Flack said she was “OK”, Cipriani asked: “Why you just OK? Want you smiling”.
The Love Island host replied: “Well, got court case coming up.”
Flack stepped down from presenting the winter series of Love Island after an alleged assault on her boyfriend, Lewis Burton.
She pleaded not guilty and was released on bail but was ordered to stop having any contact with Mr Burton ahead of a trial, which was due to begin in March.
“She wasn’t allowed to talk to her boyfriend throughout the case because of the law. He wanted the charges dropped. They wanted to pursue. I am not pointing fingers,” Cipriani said.
“The CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) and police do a good job. Just saying we can’t always do a good job. This is my grieving process.”
Cipriani said Flack’s nickname for him was Black Dot and “she was kind beyond belief”.
The rugby player previously told his fans he was going to play a voice note Flack “left about 15 days ago because people need to hear it”.
Flack’s management company have criticised the CPS for pursuing a “show trial” with the TV host’s assault charge.
The CPS later outlined how it reaches decisions over whether or not to charge someone with a criminal offence.