One Direction Louis loses his mother, 43
THE mother of One Direction star Louis Tomlinson has died days before he was set to launch his solo singing career.
Johannah Deakin, 43, had been suffering from leukaemia for seven months.
Her death on Wednesday came as 24-year-old Tomlinson was planning a surprise performance on the X Factor final tonight. Despite the tragedy, the pop star is still expected to perform in tribute to the mum-of-seven – who he had described in the past as his ‘best friend’.
In a statement, her family spoke of their ‘immeasurable sadness’. They said Mrs Deakin was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukaemia that required ‘immediate and continuous treatment’.
She leaves behind six other children – Lottie, 18, Felicite, 16, and two sets of twins, Phoebe and Daisy, 12, and two-year-olds Ernest and Doris. Mrs Deakin – who recently became a grandmother for the first time after Tomlinson had a son, Freddie Reign – was fiercely proud of her popstar son.
Five weeks ago, she shared a photo of the One Direction singer on what was to be her last post on social media site Instagram with the caption ‘My perfect boy’.
Tomlinson, who moved to Los Angeles to be closer to his son, also shared a photo of his mother two weeks ago with the caption: ‘I love you and miss you so much!’ In a heartbreaking statement, her third husband Dan Deakin paid tribute to his ‘incredibly selfless’ wife and ‘truly amazing mother’.
He said: ‘She would always look to put other people before herself. She desired nothing more than for everyone around her to be happy and
‘My heart breaks’
loving. She worked tirelessly on numerous charity campaigns, creating memories for many individuals and their families.
‘It wasn’t uncommon for Johannah to hear through the media of an individual in need of assistance, and she would immediately make it her objective to get that person what they often desperately needed, and rarely without success.’
Mrs Deakin had been cared for at University College London Hospital since May, before being moved to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield for her last few weeks.
She was 18 when she had Tomlinson with her first husband Troy Austin in 1991.
Her second marriage was to Mark Tomlinson, with whom she had four children. Two years ago, she married Mr Deakin and gave birth to a second set of twins.
Yesterday, messages of condolence came from celebrities including Simon Cowell, who tweeted: ‘Heartbroken for you Louis Tomlinson.’ Cheryl, who is in a relationship with his One Direction band mate Liam Payne, tweeted: ‘My heart breaks for you.’