Paloma Faith reveals the catalyst in the breakdown of her marriage to Leyman Lahcine and why she has deleted all dating apps: ‘It put a strain on us’

By William On Nov 7, 2024

Paloma Faith has revealed what caused her marriage to husband Leyman Lahcine to fail.

The singer, 43, married the French artist, 37, in 2017 and they welcomed two daughters together before splitting in 2022 after nine years together.

In an interview with Davina McCall on her Begin Again podcast, Paloma discussed their divorce, why she deleted all her dating apps and the struggles that come with living as a single mother.

Paloma said problems in the relationship started when they were trying to get pregnant, when doctors discovered a problem with Leyman’s fertility.

The singer said she felt “resentment” building up when they started the IVF process, even though she knew she could get pregnant naturally.

Paloma Faith has revealed what caused her marriage to husband Leyman Lahcine to fail

The singer, 43, tied the knot with the French artist, 37, in 2017 and they welcomed two daughters together before splitting in 2022 after nine years together (pictured in 2018)

Paloma had to take hormone medications that help stimulate the ovaries and prepare the uterine lining for the procedure.

She said: ‘When we first started trying I had previously gotten pregnant quite easily and so I was worried. It does irritate me that science, because it is largely male-dominated, says that if it is a male fertility problem, which it was in our case, it is still the woman who bears the brunt.

‘There has been no breakthrough. He was devastated all the time and said, “If I can take something or give injections. Why does it have to fall on you?”

‘But it did happen, and it does happen. He was empathetic, but I think that in itself put a strain on our relationship because his view was, “You’re so hardworking, breadwinner and all I had to do was this and I can’t do it.”

She continued, “It was hard because I knew I could just get pregnant naturally and I think that put a strain on us because I’m not one to bury my feelings. I’m just saying ‘this is frustrating’.”

Paloma told how the birth of their first child was traumatic and how she could barely walk for three months due to a uterine infection after an emergency caesarean section.

The singer also said she suffered from postpartum depression, which she didn’t realize until a few years later.

Paloma told Davina: ‘The birth wasn’t ideal and when we went to lockdown the fertility clinic called me and said: “we’re still open, do you want to have another baby?”.

In an interview with Davina McCall on her Begin Again podcast, Paloma discussed their divorce, why she deleted all her dating apps and the struggles of being a single mother.

Paloma said she now feels the “sexiest” she has ever felt while chatting with host Davina

How does IVF work?

In vitro fertilization, known as IVF, is a medical procedure in which a woman has an already fertilized egg inserted into her uterus to become pregnant.

It is used when couples cannot conceive naturally and a sperm and egg are removed from their bodies and combined in a laboratory before the embryo is inserted into the woman.

Once the embryo is in the uterus, the pregnancy should continue normally.

The procedure can be performed using eggs and sperm from a married couple or from donors.

Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommend that IVF should be offered on the NHS to women under 43 who have been trying to conceive for two years through regular unprotected sex.

People can also pay for IVF privately, which costs an average of £3,348 for a single cycle, according to January 2018 figures, and there is no guarantee of success.

The NHS says success rates for women under 35 are around 29 per cent, with the chance of a successful cycle decreasing as they get older.

It is believed that around eight million babies have been born as a result of IVF since the first ever case, British woman Louise Brown, was born in 1978.

Chance of success

The success rate of IVF depends on the age of the woman undergoing treatment, as well as the cause of the infertility (if it is known).

Younger women are more likely to have a successful pregnancy.

IVF is usually not recommended for women over 42 years old because the chance of a successful pregnancy is considered too low.

Between 2014 and 2016, the percentage of IVF treatments that resulted in a live birth was:

29 percent for women under 35

23 percent for women aged 35 to 37

15 percent for women aged 38 to 39

9 percent for women aged 40 to 42

3 percent for women aged 43 to 44

2 percent for women over 44 years old

‘I said to him, “I really want another baby, I don’t work so much. I have more time to relax. Can I do that?”

‘He said, ‘I don’t think we’re going to make it as a couple.’

‘I felt resentment, I just felt alone. There’s something halfway through life and you’re looking at perimenopause around the corner. It was the last chance saloon.

‘I just had it in my head: I have to give this child a brother or sister. I felt like a single parent, even in a relationship.’

Paloma said they went through couples therapy and later divorce therapy. She now has a ‘good relationship’ with Leyman.

‘We have a lot of respect for each other. We still say I love you. It will be hard for the person I end up with, but it has to be that way,” the singer said.

‘At first [the split] was terrible, we started over and we remembered all the things we loved about each other. I still think he’s one of my best friends.

‘Sometimes when we’re emotional or tired, we get a little upset. We are also grateful that there is friendship.’

However, Paloma said she still feels “exhausted from motherhood” and that “sometimes my children even perpetuate the imbalance” when it comes to parental care.

Elsewhere in the interview, the singer opened up about why she gave up dating apps after trying them several times.

She said: ‘I’ve been on dating apps, I definitely don’t want to date someone who’s a big fan of my music

‘I think dating apps are a melting pot of damage and many men look for an ego boost there. Maybe I was a little naive when I did it. I don’t think I would do it again. I deleted it.’

Paloma said she now feels the “sexiest” she has ever felt and is hesitant to date again because she is much “choosier” than before.