Singer-songwriter Flo Morrissey has publicly confirmed the end of her seven-year marriage to fellow musician and Mercury Prize winner Benjamin Clementine. The couple, who have two children together and performed as The Clementines, have parted ways.
A Poignant End to a Musical Partnership
The split marks a poignant conclusion for the pair, whose 2017 wedding was described as a 'stunning ceremony'. Flo, now 31, walked down the aisle to the sound of her siblings singing George Harrison's 'My Sweet Lord'. Her mother, the renowned financier and life peer Baroness Helena Morrissey, was in attendance.
Flo Morrissey addressed the divorce directly, stating: 'It feels right for me to not hide that I got divorced.' She added a philosophical note, saying: 'As we all know, life and time can hold many truths at once. Both wonderful and terribly hard things happen.'
From Acclaim to Separation
Flo Morrissey's debut album, 'Tomorrow Will Be Beautiful', was widely praised for its graceful and wise songwriting. Benjamin Clementine, 37, born to Ghanaian parents and raised in London, won the prestigious Mercury Prize in 2015. His early life was challenging; he left home at 17 and slept rough in London and Paris, where he busked on the Metro.
Their union seemed a powerful merging of two distinct musical talents. However, in a 2017 interview, Clementine had remarked: 'Right now, I'm not in love.' Flo gave birth to their first child later that same year, on Christmas Day.
A Mother's Remarkable Journey
The news brings the spotlight back onto Flo's mother, Baroness Helena Morrissey, a figure celebrated for shattering glass ceilings. She became a chief executive in the male-dominated finance world at just 35, was later made a baroness and government adviser, and has authored two books.
Remarkably, she achieved this while raising nine children. She has often credited her husband, Richard, for their partnership, famously stating they've 'made things work – most of the time'.
In other entertainment news this week:
Actress Jessie Buckley, who recently won a Critics' Choice Award, revealed the secret behind her on-screen chemistry with co-star Paul Mescal in 'Hamnet' was a successful 'chemistry read'.
Meanwhile, 'Normal People' star Daisy Edgar-Jones served as maid of honour at the wedding of her friend and former 'Cold Feet' co-star Ella Hunt to musician Thomas Bartlett. Daisy has also been announced as a new brand ambassador for Estée Lauder.
Comedian Russell Brand's main UK company saw its wealth increase by 50% to £12 million last year, according to newly published figures, despite facing serious sexual assault charges, which he denies.
In a lighter story, billionaire John Caudwell posted a photo of himself 'snow-rolling' in shorts at his Staffordshire estate.
Finally, Dame Emma Thompson spoke out about the treatment of outspoken women in Hollywood and society, claiming little has changed in 50 years and that women are still penalised for not being 'doormats'.
