Inside the bitter split between George Hamilton and George Hamilton Jr.’s mother

The family tree in E!’s Stewarts and Hamiltons is undeniably complicated: The show stars George Hamilton, Alana Stewart (the ex-wife he divorced 40 years ago), his kids, and her kids. Three of those children are half-siblings. But, George’s younger son, George Hamilton Jr., has no relation to Alana Stewart’s kids. (See, I told you it was complicated.)

So: who is George Hamilton Jr.’s mother, and why doesn’t she appear in the show? The answer to the first question is simple–she’s former model Kimberly Blackford. And the answer to second may be because her split from George wasn’t exactly smooth.

Speaking out about the relationship to The Mirror in 2009, Kimberly said she immediately fell for George upon meeting him in 1995. They dated seriously for the next four years–but Kimberly said the infamous Lothario was never willing to fully commit.

“He’s a great bachelor, that’s what he’s good at,” she said. “I was head over heels in love with him but he’s just not the marrying kind.”

She said the relationship “slowly crumbled” when she learned she was expecting George Jr. Still, she was shocked when George admitted on a TV show that he was dating novelist Danielle Steel, which was news to her. She said it took her years to recover from the sadness and depression, but she eventually decided to let George back into her and her son’s lives.

“As GT started to get older, George would visit us more and we became friends again,” she said. “We both love him dearly and he’s a great father.”

George Jr. is now 15 and his very close relationship with his dad is documented on Stewarts and Hamiltons. In one recent episode, George Sr. even took his son shopping for condoms after learning he lost his virginity in a bathroom.

Stewarts and Hamiltons airs on E! on Sundays at 9/8c.