NEED TO KNOW
John Lydon claims his former bandmates didn’t support him after his wife’s death.
In an interview with The Times published Dec. 26, the former frontman of the Sex Pistols revealed his former bandmates didn’t reach out after his wife Nora Forster died in 2023 due to Alzheimer’s complications. Lydon and Forster, a German publishing heiress and actress, tied the knot in 1979 and were married for 44 years.
“I expected some kind of connection when Nora died, but nothing,” Lydon said of his former bandmates, guitarist Steve Jones, bassist Glen Matlock and drummer Paul Cook.
Fin Costello/Redferns
Lydon, who performed as Johnny Rotten with the Pistols, opened up about his wife’s journey with Alzheimer’s in an interview with The Mirror, and shared that he’d become her “full-time carer.”
On April 6, 2023, Lydon’s official X account run by his management team shared the news of Forster’s death.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the sad news that Nora Forster – John Lydon’s wife of nearly 5 decades – has passed away,” the announcement read, alongside a photo fo the couple together. “Nora had been living with Alzheimer’s for several years. In which time John had become her full time carer.”
“Please respect John’s grief and allow him space. Rest in Peace Nora. Heartfelt condolences to John from Rambo and all at PiL Official,” the statement concluded.
Lydon’s claims come as the rest of the Sex Pistols are touring without him, instead performing with former Gallows frontman Frank Carter as their lead singer.
Tensions rose further between Lydon and his former bandmates when Lydon spoke to British news outlet The i Paper and referred to the Sex Pistols’ new tour as “karaoke.”
Express/Express/Getty
“When I first heard that the Sex Pistols were touring this year without me it pissed me off,” he told the outlet. “It annoyed me. I just thought, ‘They’re absolutely going to kill all that was good with the Pistols by eliminating the point and the purpose of it all.’ I didn’t write those words lightly.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
He added, “They’re trying to [trivialize] the whole show to get away with karaoke but in the long term I think you’ll see who has the value and who doesn’t. I’ve never sold my soul to make a dollar.”
