Ed Sheeran recently shared a deeply personal story about one of the most frightening moments of his life — when his wife, Cherry Seaborn, was diagnosed with cancer — and gave an update on her health today.
During the March 10 episode of the Friends Keep Secrets podcast with Benny Blanco, Lil Dicky, and Kristin Batalucco, the Grammy-winning singer was asked to reflect on the best and worst days of his life.
Sheeran said the happiest day was his 2019 wedding to Seaborn, with whom he shares two daughters, Lyra (5) and Jupiter (3). However, one of the most difficult moments came in February 2022 when Seaborn called to tell him she had cancer.
At the time, Seaborn had been diagnosed with a tumor while six months pregnant with their second daughter. Because of the pregnancy, doctors advised waiting until after the birth to perform surgery, forcing the couple to endure months of uncertainty while preparing for their child’s arrival.
Thankfully, Sheeran shared that Seaborn has since fully recovered after undergoing surgery following Jupiter’s birth.
“She’s doing well now. She had the operation after our second child was born, and thankfully everything turned out fine,” he said, adding that the experience was incredibly frightening.
The difficult period was made even heavier by other tragic events in Sheeran’s life. During the same week, his close friend Jamal Edwards passed away, and cricket legend Shane Warne also died. At the same time, Sheeran was preparing for a major copyright lawsuit regarding his 2017 hit “Shape of You,” which he ultimately won.
Looking back, Sheeran said those real-life challenges changed how he viewed the lawsuit that had weighed on him for years. Compared to everything else happening in his life, the legal battle suddenly felt far less important.
Sheeran first spoke publicly about Seaborn’s diagnosis in his 2023 Disney+ documentary Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All. In the film, Seaborn explained that the diagnosis forced her to reflect on life and mortality, which ultimately led her to participate in the documentary despite usually staying out of the spotlight.
The experience was extremely emotional for Sheeran, who described it as “horrible.” He turned to songwriting as a way to cope with the fear and uncertainty, writing seven songs in just four hours after hearing the news.
Seaborn noted that writing music is how Sheeran processes intense emotions. In a 2023 interview with Rolling Stone, the singer also spoke openly about the mental health struggles he faced during that difficult time, explaining that he often felt powerless.
Despite everything, the couple came through the ordeal stronger, and Seaborn is now healthy following the successful surgery.
