John Lydon breaks down in tears onstage during his UK speaking tour as he reveals late wife Nora’s final moments after devastating dementia battle: ‘She started a death rattle’
Sex Pistols icon John Lydon cried on stage Thursday as he spoke about the final moments of his beloved wife Nora Forster.
The 68-year-old punk rocker, better known as Johnny Rotten, lost Nora at the age of 80 after a two-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
He has since opened up about his battle with grief and the star opened up about his late wife during his 45-date UK tour called I Could Be Wrong, I Could Be Right.
According to The mirror, John recalled the night she died saying, “She started a death rattle, just like the breathing. It’s very, very strange and uncomfortable to be around. Then I knew the time had finally come.
“She held my hand and said ‘Johnny.’ And then the ambulance arrived in the blink of an eye, within minutes.
Sex Pistols icon John Lydon cried on stage Thursday as he spoke about the final moments of his beloved wife Nora Forster (photo 2023)
The 68-year-old punk rocker, better known as Johnny Rotten, lost Nora at the age of 80 after a two-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease (photo 2011)
‘They kept trying to revive her. Her heart came back for a moment and then stopped again. And then the most painful question was: ‘Shall we stop now and let her rest in peace?’ I was like, ‘No way.’
“If I ever had to go through this again, I would still say the same thing. You have to fight for life until the very last breath, it’s worth it. The pain, whatever, take it all.
‘Give up on yourself and no one else. I love my Nora.’
John met Nora in Vivienne Westwood’s famous King’s Road clothing store, Sex, in 1975.
The couple then married in 1979 and John became her full-time caregiver after she was diagnosed in 2021.
John also showed fans a photo of her urn of flowers next to his bed at another event at the Theater Royal in Brighton.
He said, ‘Forgive me, the flowers are plastic. There is a reason why real flowers rot and that is the saddest atmosphere in the world. Plastic flowers last forever.
“She loved coloring, but she will have to wait for my ashes to join her.”
He has since opened up about his battle with grief and the star opened up about his late wife during his 45-date UK tour called I Could Be Wrong, I Could Be Right (pictured 2017)
According to The Mirror, John recalled the night she died, saying: ‘She started a death rattle, just like the breathing. It’s very, very strange and uncomfortable to be around. Then I knew the time had finally come
John also revealed that he has been drinking more since Nora passed away.
He said, ‘That might as well be me [a woman] after all the cognac and whiskey I drank last year. I actually have t*ts. My breasts are overflowing
The star also discussed his impoverished upbringing in Holloway, North London, and growing up with few opportunities.
He added: “When I was born, the doctor didn’t like me. He grabbed my ankles and held me like a turkey. I weighed nine pounds and a few awkward ounces.”
It comes after John last month shed light on the loneliness he has felt since his beloved wife Nora passed away last year.
WHAT IS DEMENTIA?
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of neurological conditions
A GLOBAL CARE
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological conditions (affecting the brain) that affect memory, thinking and behavior.
There are many forms of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common.
Some people may have a combination of different forms of dementia.
Regardless of which type is diagnosed, each person will experience dementia in their own unique way.
Dementia is a global problem, but it is most common in wealthier countries, where people are likely to live to a very old age.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED?
The Alzheimer’s Society reports that there are currently more than 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK. This number is expected to rise to 1.6 million by 2040.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting between 50 and 75 percent of those diagnosed.
There are an estimated 5.5 million people in the US with Alzheimer’s disease. A similar percentage increase is expected in the coming years.
As a person’s age increases, so does the risk that he or she will develop dementia.
The number of diagnoses is increasing, but it is believed that many people with dementia are still undiagnosed.
IS THERE A TREATMENT?
There is currently no medicine against dementia.
But new medications can slow its progression and the sooner it is caught, the more effective treatments can be.
Source: Alzheimer’s Association
In a new interview with The Sunday Times Housethe star spoke about life in their LA home since her death.
John tragically confessed that he ‘bounces around’ during the day, but when night falls he stops cooking because ‘it seems pointless and selfish’, while also admitting that he tries in vain to ‘drow himself in alcohol’.
He said: ‘It’s terribly lonely at night. All the memories keep coming back and they won’t leave you. Your body becomes immobile, but your brain doesn’t switch off.’
It comes after he tragically announced Nora’s passing last year – and has since been open and honest about his battle with grief.
In September last year, Johnny admitted it was “almost a relief” when she passed away and was free from her struggle. Speaking on GMB, he was asked what the months after her death had been like. He replied, “It has been hard, but we persevere….”
‘She died laughing until the last day. She found it very hard to breathe, but she died happy and she knew I loved her and that’s all that matters.”
John continued, “It was almost a relief [when she died] when she was put out of her misery for five years, but I loved every minute of it.
He added: ‘She held my hand and said ‘Johnny’. And then the ambulance arrived within minutes.”
‘I didn’t mind the wheelchairs and the diapers. I just became attached to her in a whole new way and I learned so many new things about her.
“It was great to just share comedy and humor with her because that would give her the memory of what was going on. She was a very independent and strong woman.”
John explained that he had to learn to be patient with Nora, as this was crucial when caring for someone with dementia.
He added: ‘The first year she was ill it was a learning process, then you get used to it and then you learn to relax with it a bit. There is no point in arguing, don’t ask questions and let them enjoy what they like.
It comes after John last month shed light on the loneliness he has felt since his beloved wife Nora passed away last year (pictured 2023)
‘She didn’t like being patronised, it would drive her mad with anger. Don’t baby them [people with Dementia]and don’t ask too many questions.’
John retold how he turned to food and alcohol shortly after Nora died. He continued, “All it did was make me gain weight. I’ve never been drunk and I thought, “This is stupid,” so I stopped.
‘But the problem is that it’s not just the cognac, but also the ready-made microwave meals that come with it, and you’re destroying yourself. The only way I know how to get fit is to get back on stage.”
When Nora met John in 1975, the pair were initially warned about each other by friends, but John said they had an immediate and explosive bond – one that would last a lifetime.