The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- Sarah Marshal
John Lydon has revealed that he sleeps with his late wife Nora Forster’s ashes in a cupboard next to his bed, three months after she died from Alzheimer’s.
The former frontman of the Sex Pistols, 67, became Forster’s full-time carer two years after she received her diagnosis till her death at the age of 80 in April.
Lydon, whose stage name is Jonny Rotten, opened up about grieving his wife of nearly five decades in a new interview published on Saturday (8 July).
Lydon said it “has been much harder than he thought” to deal with the loss.
“I thought I would be able to handle this side of it, but it is, if anything, worse,” he said. “I like to sleep with Nora’s ashes in the cupboard next to the bed because there is no expectancy of meeting her in this life again. And if there is a hereafter…”
He added: “Some of them rules I haven’t been following could prove a problem. It doesn’t bode well!”
Lydon and Forster married in 1979. They don’t share any biological children of their own, but Lydon became stepfather to Forster’s daughter Ariane, who goes by the stage name Ari Up. Ariane died in October 2010 at the age of 48 from breast cancer.
In 2000, the couple became the legal guardians of Ariane twin sons after the singer “couldn’t cope with them anymore”. They also took in her youngest son, Wilton, after his mother died.
Reflecting on how he and Forster navigated their relationship despite his public profile, Lydon said: “I have seen relationships crash around me, especially when fame is involved, and I cannot help but think people were too flippant about their life partners.
“Nora and I argued a great deal but the arguments were so stunning that they made life worthwhile, and we were always honest and open about everything.”
He added: “Now I don’t have anyone to share my life with. I am sitting in an empty house and all I can think about is Marc Almond singing “The House Is Haunted by the Echo of Your Last Goodbye”. Might as well go back out on tour.”
Announcing Forster’s death through his Twitter account, a statement read: “It is with a heavy heart that we share the sad news that Nora Forster – John Lydon’s wife of nearly decades – has passed away.
“Nora had been living with Alzheimer’s for several years, in which time John had become her full-time carer. Please respect John’s grief and allow him space. Rest in peace Nora.”
Forster was diagnosed with the disease in 2018. In January, during an appearance on This Morning, Lydon said tearfully: “She requires 24/7 attention and I’m more than willing to give her that because the life she’s given me up till now has been amazing.
The singer-songwriter announced this year that his band Public Image Ltd had entered a submission for the Eurovision song contest for the chance to represent Ireland with his new ballad “Hawaii”, which was a love letter to Forster.
He said he wished to compete to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s, adding: “[It’s such a debilitating thing to watch my wife suffer and have to go through… It brings tears to my eyes even thinking about performing it live, because I’ll be away from her. But I have to do that.”
However, Lydon was unsuccessful in his bid to represent Ireland in the competition. PiL’s song finished in fourth position among six finalists and the winning song went to “We Are One” by the band Wild Youth.
Alzheimer’s disease and dementia were the leading cause of death in the UK in 2022, according to the Office for National Statistics. This week, TV presenter Fiona Phillips revealed her Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and said she is speaking publicly about it to end the stigma surrounding the illness.
