Ed Sheeran Gives Update on Wife Cherry Seaborn’s Health After Operation to Remove Cancerous Tumor
The singer recalled the frightening moment his wife called to tell him she had cancer while pregnant with their daughter Jupiter — and shared how she’s doing now
NEED TO KNOW
- Ed Sheeran says wife Cherry Seaborn is “totally fine” after surgery to remove a cancerous tumor
- The singer recalls learning of her diagnosis in February 2022 while she was six months pregnant with their daughter Jupiter
- Sheeran says the news came during an already devastating week that included the deaths of friends Jamal Edwards and Shane Warne
Ed Sheeran is opening up about the terrifying moment he learned his wife, Cherry Seaborn, had cancer, and how she’s doing today.
Speaking on the March 10 episode of the Friends Keep Secrets podcast with Benny Blanco, Lil Dicky and Kristin Batalucco, the Grammy winner was asked to name the best and worst days of his life.
The best, Sheeran said, was his 2019 wedding to Seaborn — with whom he shares two daughters: Lyra, 5, and Jupiter, 3. But the worst came in February 2022, when “Cherry rung me up and said she had cancer.”
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Seaborn, 33, was diagnosed with a tumor while six months pregnant with Jupiter. Doctors initially told the pair the tumor couldn’t be operated on until after she gave birth, leaving them to navigate the pregnancy while waiting for surgery.
When asked how Seaborn is doing now, Sheeran, 35, said she has since recovered following surgery after Jupiter’s birth.
“She’s fine, she had the operation,” he said. “She was pregnant at the time. That’s why it was difficult. She had the operation to remove the tumor after the birth of our second child. And thankfully — touch wood — totally fine.”
“It was f—ing scary,” he added.
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At the time, Sheeran was also grappling with the death of close friend Jamal Edwards, the music entrepreneur who helped launch his career, and the sudden death of cricket legend Shane Warne. He was also preparing to defend himself in a high-profile copyright infringement lawsuit over his 2017 hit “Shape of You,” which he ultimately won.
“That was probably the worst week because Jamal died that week as well, and then we went straight into a court case. Oh, and then Shane died, first day of the court case.”
Looking back, Sheeran said the perspective-shifting moment changed how he viewed the lawsuit that had loomed over him for years.
“Being in the court case though — which, like, everything was building to that for like, eight years,” he said. “And then suddenly when you’re in the courtroom, it didn’t really matter. So I had built it up in my mind and then because of all of those actual heavy life things had happened, when I was in the courtroom I was like, ‘I don’t actually care about the outcome of this.’ Because it’s so small compared.”
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The singer first publicly revealed Seaborn’s diagnosis in his 2023 Disney+ documentary Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All. In the film, Seaborn explained why she ultimately agreed to appear on camera despite typically avoiding the spotlight.
“I got diagnosed with cancer at the start of the year which was a massive s–ter,” she said. “It made me massively reflect on our mortality. I would never agree to do anything like this but it made me think, ‘Oh if I died, what’s people’s perception of me? What do you leave behind?’ “
Sheeran became emotional in the documentary while reflecting on the experience. “It was horrible,” he said.
Songwriting became a way for Sheeran to process the fear and uncertainty surrounding her diagnosis. He wrote seven songs in four hours after learning the news.
“When something really intense happens to him, he writes a song,” Seaborn said.
In a 2023 cover story with Rolling Stone, Sheeran also opened up about the mental health struggles he experienced during that time. “There’s nothing you can do about it. You feel so powerless,” he said.
Amid the stress and grief he was experiencing, Sheeran said he began feeling like he “didn’t want to live anymore.”
“And I have had that throughout my life.… You’re under the waves drowning. You’re just sort of in this thing. And you can’t get out of it,” he said, admitting he felt shame about those feelings.
Sheeran said the emotions felt “selfish,” adding, “especially as a father. I feel really embarrassed about it.”