GARETH Bale dodged a family christening and avoided his fiancee’s dad who is just out of jail.
Bale’s bride-to-be Emma Rhys-Jones, 26, turned up with their two daughters but there was no sign of the Real Madrid hero.
Relatives said Bale stayed in Spain after being told to kick his future father-in-law into touch.
His advisers say that mixing with multi-million pound fraudster Martin Rhys-Jones could damage his sponsorship deals.
A relative at the christening said: “Gareth could have been here – he wasn’t playing or training or anything.
“But things are very shakey between him and Emma’s family so he was advised not to come.
“It’s not good for his image that her dad was banged up for fraud and other members of her family were caught up in a drugs feud.”
Rhys-Jones, 52, was jailed for five years in the US for masterminding an international shares scam.
He was released last month and has been reunited with Emma, 26, and met his grandchildren for the first time.
But £85m Welsh winger Bale, 28, has missed two chances to meet Rhys-Jones who is expected to give Emma away when the pair wed next year.
The relative said: “Other guests at the christening were hoping Gareth would show up.
“Emma and the kids flew in from Spain but there was no sign of him.”
Security was tight for the christening of baby Israel Faletau, the one-year-old son of Emma’s sister Charlotte and her partner Wales and British Lions rugby star Taulupe Faletau.
Two burly bodyguards patrolled the streets outside the Methodist Church in the Pontypool, South Wales, as Emma arrived with daughters Alba Violet, four, and Nava Valentina, one.
Sisters Emma and Charlotte wore matching leather and lace outfits for the christening service held before a family party at Rodney parade, the home of Newport Gwent Dragons rugby team.
The family member said: “It’s a shame – Gareth missed out on a lovely day.”
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