Imran Khan and Jemima

London, May 16 (PTI): Pakistan’s cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan will take custody of his 12-year old girl child out of wedlock following the sudden death of her mother in the US on Thursday.

Imran flew to Los Angeles last night to bring home his ‘love child’ Tyrian after her multi-millionaire mother Sita White collapsed, having apparently suffered a heart attack near her home in Beverly Hills, a report said today.

Quoting her friends, The Mail on Sunday said the 43-year old Sita, a fitness fanatic, had taken steroids which exacerbated an existing heart condition.

For years, the 51-year old cricketing legend refused to acknowledge Tyrian, born in 1992, as his child until Sita won a paternity suit in 1997.

He finally met his child the following year.

Imran and his wife Jemima are now understood to have discussed bringing the 12-year-old to live with them and their sons Sulaiman, 7, and Qasim, 4, in the UK.

Sita’s will stipulated that Imran was to get “full and complete parental rights over Tyrian if anything happened”, her friend was quoted as saying.

“Tyrian and Imran now have a strong bond despite his reluctance to acknowledge her during her early years,” the friend said.

Imran also had the support of Jemima in bringing Tyrian to live with them, The Mail said.

Jemima, according to the tabloid, told a friend: “We are committed to doing whatever is best for Tyrian and we are both very happy for her to move to the UK and live with us if that’s what she wants.”

The friend added: “What Imran and Jemima care most about is the fact that a 12-year-old girl has tragically lost her mother. Although Jemima never met Sita, they were in regular contact about Tyrian. They had a very good relationship.”

Jemima met Tyrian for the first time three years ago. She spent six weeks in the summer of 2001 with the Khans. She returns to the UK to stay with the Khans every summer since then.