Ed Sheeran has disclosed that his wife, Cherry Seaborn, was diagnosed with a tumour while pregnant with their second child. The singer said there was 'no route to treatment until after the birth', adding that the experience contributed to a period of depression.
The news comes as Sheeran announces his upcoming album, Subtract, which was rewritten following a series of personal crises. In a handwritten note, he described 'spiralling through fear, depression and anxiety' last year, exacerbated by the death of his friend Jamal Edwards and a copyright trial.
Sheeran scrapped 'hundreds' of songs originally intended for the album, replacing them with material written in a single week. 'I wrote without thought of what the songs would be, I just wrote whatever tumbled out,' he said. 'For the first time I'm not trying to craft an album people will like.'
The album, produced by Aaron Dessner of The National, is due for release on 5 May. Sheeran will debut the first single at a series of intimate shows in late March. The artwork features a corroding heart, a departure from his previous mathematical symbol themes.
Sheeran and Seaborn welcomed their second daughter last May. The singer did not provide further details on his wife's current health.
