Tate Ferdinand, 17, has spoken candidly about the profound grief and 'trauma' his family experienced following the death of his mother, Rebecca, from breast cancer in 2015. In an interview on Kate's Blended podcast, Tate described his father, former footballer Rio Ferdinand, as having 'mad' emotional reactions during that period, understanding that Rio was trying to cope with his own loss while holding the family together.

Tate recalled that much of the time after his mother's passing was a 'blur,' attributing it to trauma. He described experiencing 'emotional blackouts' and having fragmented memories of the day-to-day emotional landscape. He explained, "I don't really know. I've got to be honest, a lot of it was a blur." Kate Ferdinand, who married Rio in 2017, suggested that these experiences were a way for Tate to cope with the loss of his mother.

The teenager also reflected on the guilt he felt in the period after his mother's death and as Kate began to integrate into the family. "I felt guilty for my mum's family, for my mum," Tate said. "It's a really weird feeling because one part of me really likes her [Kate] and wants to like her. And then the other part of me thinks like, oh, there's a loyalty towards my mum here. What am I doing type thing?"

Tate admitted to trying to sabotage his father's relationship with Kate out of loyalty to his late mother. He recounted telling lies about Kate, including claims of her meeting random men and locking him and his siblings in a room after she moved into their family home in 2018. Kate shared an anecdote where Tate accused her of meeting men on the driveway, which had been prompted by a delivery driver arriving while Rio was out. Another incident involved a Valentine's Day balloon delivery, which Tate said he told his siblings to hide, leading to the false rumor that Kate had locked them in a room.

Kate Ferdinand, who is now co-parenting Tate, his siblings Lorenz and Tia, and their younger siblings Shae and Cree with Rio, has previously spoken about her own challenges in becoming a stepmother in a bereaved household. She described feeling like she was "walking in the steps of someone else's life" as she navigated her relationship with Rio and his children.

During the podcast, Tate acknowledged a period when he 'hated' Kate, describing his behavior as playing 'mind games' by alternating between affection and complete refusal to interact with her. He explained this as a confused state, trying to reconcile his feelings and loyalty to his mother with his growing relationship with Kate.