Cheryl 'to demand a divorce in weeks' after humiliating sex text revelations, say friends

Cheryl Cole is to divorce her footballer husband Ashley after a string of revelations about his alleged infidelity, the Daily Mail has learned.
Friends of The X Factor judge claim that a split will be announced 'within weeks' after she flew to Los Angeles without her wedding ring.
They say the 26-year-old Girls Aloud singer has gone beyond the point of 'riding out' the storm over their relationship  -  and could soon fire the starting gun on a fight over the couple's assets.

Flight for this love: Cheryl Cole leaves Heathrow Airport yesterday, left, and, right, after a quick outfit change, arrives at LAX Airport in Los Angeles

It comes a week after it was revealed that Chelsea defender Cole had taken lewd pictures on his mobile telephone, which were sent to a topless model.
Another woman has also claimed that she spent the night with Cole at a hotel before he played an England match.
Yesterday, Mrs Cole arrived at Heathrow airport hours after her triumphant appearance at the Brit Awards, without her £160,000 engagement or wedding ring. Instead, she sported a large gold cocktail ring on the third finger of her left hand.

Besieged: Cheryl lands in the U.S., only to be confronted by a crush of Los Angeles paparazzi

Although she hid her eyes behind large sunglasses, her choice of T- shirt  -  which showed a woman crying  -  appeared to give an indication about her state of mind.
Friends who have spoken to the singer say that they now expect her to end the Coles' three-and-a-half-year marriage when she returns to the UK next week.

One said: 'Cheryl is holding it together, she is extremely tough  -  don't forget she comes from a council estate in Newcastle and is a fighter.

Under pressure: Cheryl appears to get angry with photographers as she tries to close her car door

'She loves Ashley, he is the love of her life, but there is only so much she will take.

'Cheryl is exhausted with it all. There was a point when she was going to ride it all out, but she has heard rumours of more women and cannot face it. They will split within weeks.'
The couple failed to sign a pre-nuptial agreement before their lavish wedding in July 2006, meaning a split is likely to result in a costly divorce battle.
Although a millionaire in her own right, Mrs Cole is significantly less wealthy than her husband. Last year, the Sunday Times Rich List estimated their joint worth at £13million  -  almost all of it accrued after their wedding.
That figure is likely to be much higher now.
A legal source said: 'This is an unusual situation for a footballer as very few have wives with their own earnings. However the discrepancy between their net worths means that Mrs Cole would have a very strong case for a significant claim over a large portion of his wealth, now and in the future.'
Speaking just before their marriage, Mrs Cole insisted she did not believe in prenuptial agreements.
She said at the time: 'I think that's defeating the point. We're getting married because we're committing ourselves to spend our lives together. No ifs and buts.'
A spokesman for Mrs Cole refused to comment on the possibility of a split last night, saying only that the singer was in Los Angeles to record extra tracks with band The Black Eyed Peas for her album, 3 Words.