John Lennon’s Ex-wife Thought He ‘Wasn’t [Her] Type’ at First
Before his whirlwind romance with Yoko Ono, John Lennon was married to his college sweetheart, Cynthia Lennon. It wasnāt love at first sight, though, as Cynthia Lennon revealed that the Beatle wasnāt her ātypeā in the 2005 memoir John. Hereās what we know about this couple.Ā
Who was John Lennonās first wife, Cynthia Lennon?
Heās one of the Beatlesā songwriters, appearing on songs āI Want To Hold Your Hand,ā āHere Comes the Sun,ā and āLet It Be.ā John Lennon also released solo songs like āImagine,ā often advocating peace.Ā
While the Beatles rose in popularity, John Lennon began his relationship with his college classmate Cynthia Lennon. Originally born in Blackpool, Cynthia Lennon (born Cynthia Powell) attended the Liverpool College of Art.
Cynthia Lennon didnāt think John Lennon was āher typeā when they first metĀ
In the 2005 memoir John, Cynthia Lennon shared how she met her husband ā in college, where John appeared as the self-appointed class clown.Ā
āWhen Iād first looked at John Iād thought, Yuck, not my type,ā Lennon wrote. āWith his teddy-boy look ā DA (duckās arse) haircut, narrow drainpipe trousers, and a battered old coat that was too big for him ā he was very different from the clean-cut boys I was used to.ā
āHis outspoken comments and caustic wit were alarming: I was terrified he might turn on me, and he soon did, calling me āMiss Primā or āMiss Powellā and taking the mickey out of my smart clothes and posh accent,ā she continued.Ā
Eventually, the two began their relationship, even if it was overshadowed by verbal abuse from John Lennon. (In one passage, Cynthia Lennon described getting slapped by John Lennon after a fit of jealousy.) The two married in 1962 and had a son, Julian, shortly after.
John Lennon divorced Cynthia Lennon in 1968 after meeting Yoko Ono
After a trip to an art exhibition, Lennon became enamored with activist and artist Yoko Ono. As a result, he and Cynthia Lennon officially divorced in 1968, with Lennon marrying Ono just a few months later.Ā
Lennon sometimes reunited with Julian, even if Julian Lennon stated in the John foreword that it was a ārocky pathā growing up in his fatherās shadow. After John Lennon was shot in 1980, Ono and Cynthia Lennon appeared in 60 Minutes together, detailing their experiences with the rock legend.Ā
āI think we both changed,ā Cynthia Lennon said of the reason behind the split. āIt was natural that we both change. But I did not want to go down the road John was goingā¦ I had nothing to escape. I wasnāt looking for anything else. I wasnāt searching in my mind for new experiences on a mental state.ā
Cynthia Lennon died in 2015 of cancer. Both Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono released statements about her.