In a heartfelt and candid revelation, global music superstar Ed Sheeran has shared that his wife, Cherry Seaborn, is now "on the other side" of her challenging cancer journey. The singer reflected on the devastating moment he learned of her diagnosis, which occurred during an incredibly difficult period in their lives.
A Tumour Discovered During Pregnancy
Doctors identified a tumour in Cherry Seaborn's arm in February 2022, while she was six months pregnant with the couple's second child, their daughter Jupiter. The diagnosis came as a profound shock, adding immense stress to what should have been a joyful time expecting their new baby.
The Worst Week of Their Lives
Ed Sheeran described the week of Cherry's diagnosis as arguably the worst of their lives. In the same seven-day period, his close friend and music entrepreneur Jamal Edwards died suddenly, and a high-profile court case launched over allegations of plagiarism in his hit song "Shape of You." Shortly after, cricket legend Shane Warne, another dear friend, also passed away unexpectedly.
"The day Cherry rung me up and said that she had cancer, that was probably one of the worst days," Ed explained during an appearance on the Friends Keep Secrets podcast with Benny Blanco, Lil Dicky, and Kristin Batalucco. "That was probably the worst week because Jamal died that week as well and then we went straight into the court case. And then Shane died."
Navigating Treatment While Pregnant
Initially, when Cherry sought medical attention, a doctor told her "this is really bad" and confirmed she had cancer. She immediately called Ed, instructing him to cancel all his plans as they faced an agonising month-long wait for the full medical report.
Compounding the anxiety, Cherry was informed that no conventional cancer treatment plans would be compatible with her pregnancy. However, after a sequencing test was performed on the tumour, the couple received more hopeful news: the condition was much less severe than initially feared, and surgery could safely be postponed until after Jupiter's birth.
Relief and Surgical Success
"It was the most incredible news," Cherry recalled in Ed's Disney+ documentary. "I nearly threw up when the surgeon told us we could wait to the end of the pregnancy to get the tumour out. We didn't have to worry about delivering the baby early."
After welcoming Jupiter in May 2022, announced via a sweet Instagram post, Cherry underwent a successful operation to remove the tumour. Ed provided a positive update, stating, "She's fine, I mean she had the operation. She was pregnant at the time so that why it was difficult. She had the operation to remove the tumor after she'd given birth to our second child. Thankfully, touch wood, totally fine."
Ongoing Recovery and Family Life
In the documentary, Cherry shared her emotional experience during a follow-up scan months after the surgery. "Yesterday I had follow up scan in my arm to see if the tumour had come back," she said. "We were silent in the car as we were worried it would be bad. It was super triggering being in the same room when things weren't so positive at the start of the year."
To their immense relief, the surgeon confirmed the scan results were positive: the tumour had not returned, and the lymph nodes had calmed down. "That was amazing," Cherry expressed. "It was massive for us."
The couple, who married in 2019, are now focused on their family life as parents to four-year-old Lyra and young Jupiter. Ed's openness about this deeply personal struggle highlights the resilience they demonstrated during a year that began with what they described as a "horrible" start in 2022, marked by Cherry's cancer battle amidst profound personal losses.
