Adele’s marriage was in trouble ‘ just months after wedding’
WHEN ADELE ANNOUNCED her separation from husband Simon Konecki last week, fans took to Twitter to celebrate the inevitable, chart-topping break-up album. But while she’s expected to funnel her emotions into her next release, she has more pressing immediate concerns: her six-yearold son Angelo – and her £140m fortune.
While the news became public just over a week ago, Grazia understands the couple, who were introduced by mutual friend Ed Sheeran in 2011 and married secretly in 2016, actually went their separate ways before Christmas. ‘They have been living apart for some time, so this hasn’t come as a huge shock to their friends’, says a source. ‘The sad thing is they knew that their relationship was under a huge amount of pressure within months of getting married. Adele was already on her live tour and Simon was flying back and forth to see her. It made things tough from the start.’
The close source also revealed how the couple’s very different social lives put further strain on the relationship. Adele has a tight-knit network of friends and hides away from excessive publicity, while Simon, an Old Etonian, former investment banker and founder of clean water charity Drop4drop, prefers to be more public: ‘Fame broke them. Adele is very private, whereas Simon loves going out and didn’t necessarily want to hide away and keep their relationship so secret.’ They were apparently reluctant to marry in the first place, satisfied with the status quo. But, according to sources, public scrutiny and the birth of Angelo changed their minds.
In the split announcement, both said they were ‘committed to raising their son together lovingly’. But what about Adele’s fortune? Apparently, Simon didn’t sign a prenup and she could, some experts say, be forced to give him half. Other options include suggestions of a rare legal precedent, which would officially classify Adele as a ‘genius’ and therefore limit a pay-out, as it would render Simon’s contribution to his wife’s success minimal.
The couple were last photographed together in January on their way to an Elton John concert. But in the run-up to the separation announcement, Adele turned to her A-list friends for comfort. In February, she and Drake hired out a bowling alley in LA for a private get-together with friends, in March, Jennifer Lawrence (who, sources say, is already hoping to fix Adele up with a new man) took her to a New York gay bar for an evening of drag and cocktails, and earlier this month she was seen in London with Michelle Obama, following her talk at the O2.
As for Simon, Adele has softened the blow of the split by buying him a ‘modestlooking’ condo in Encino, California, which will enable them to co-parent. ‘If she wants to fend off the possibility of splitting her entire fortune, she’ll have to do better than that,’ another source tells Grazia. ‘Adele will want full custody and he’s unlikely to fight her for it – provided he gets a fair share of visitation, of course. They’re committed to being good, amicable parents.’