The Untold Truth Of Adele And Simon Konecki's Relationship
In April 2019, after three years of marriage, Adele and Simon Konecki revealed they were getting a divorce via a statement released by the singer's representatives. "Adele and her partner have separated," the statement said (via AP News). "They are committed to raising their son together lovingly. As always they ask for privacy. There will be no further comment."
Adele opened up about her divorce with Oprah in November 2021 and explained that she was embarrassed about ending her marriage so quickly (via Parade). She told Oprah that she was exhausting herself trying to keep her family together. "The process of arriving for yourself every single day, turning up for yourself every day and still running a home, running a business, so many people know what I'm talking about [and] I felt like not doing it anymore," she explained. "And also, trying to move forward but with intention, not just trying to get out of it for no reason. My feet hurt walking through all that concrete."
What hurt the singer the most, she revealed to Oprah, was that she had to pull her son Angelo's life apart. There is a lot to unpack even years after Adele and Simon's separation became public knowledge.
They sparked marriage rumors in 2017
Simon Konecki and Adele caused a swirl of secret marriage speculation in January 2017 after they were spotted wearing rings on those fingers. At the time, Us Weekly asked Adele's people if the couple had been married on the down-low over the winter holidays, but the reps didn't respond. It wasn't until March 2017 that Adele confirmed publicly what fans had been speculating.
During a concert in Brisbane, Australia, she made the announcement after performing her song "Someone Like You." According to The Guardian, the singer said: "That feeling when you first fall for someone is the best feeling on earth. And I am addicted to that feeling. Obviously, I can't go through with those feelings because I'm married now. I've found my next person."
The Guardian added that at the February 2017 Grammy Awards, Adele also let the "h" word slip. Per the outlet, she thanked her husband and her son. Her reps didn't comment on that speech, either.
They didn't actually get married until 2018
Even though Adele sparked marriage rumors between her and Simon Konecki via her Grammy speech, referring to him as her husband, the two weren't actually married at the time. Per People, she explained that she just called him her husband as a means of defining their relationship, though they weren't legally connected that way.
In fact, when she spoke to British Vogue, Adele revealed that she didn't get married until she was 30 years old, in 2018, explaining that the media didn't have their relationship timeline figured out at all. Despite the rumors, the two didn't tie the knot in 2016, as most expected. "I always called him my husband, because we had a kid together," she told the publication.
Keeping her private life private (and the media confused) seems to be a point of pride for the singer, who also revealed to British Vogue that she split from Konecki long before they announced it publicly. Though she's mum about when exactly she left, she did maintain that the two of them split amicably.
Adele and her husband's divorce seemingly came out of nowhere
According to Us Weekly, the couple "went public with their relationship in January 2012." Just a few months later, Adele and Simon Konecki announced the birth of their son, Angelo. In 2015, the pop singer told "60 Minutes Australia" (via E! News): "Being in such an amazing relationship with someone that's so there for me and so loyal and is really part of my core now. That's what made me write about everything I've ever done, because I've got his love," she said.
The announcement that Adele and Konecki were splitting came in April 2019, which wasn't too long after they publicly confirmed their marriage. Fans may have felt that the divorce was out of nowhere, but the reality was far different. At the time, a source revealed to E! that Adele and Simon simply grew apart. "They had a lot in common early on, but eventually they just grew apart," the insider told the outlet. "She became a bigger and bigger star, and he was okay [with] being in the background, but as she got bigger and had massive tours and intense schedules, they just grew apart."
The divorce was amicable
When Adele and Simon Konecki's divorce was first announced in 2019, an insider informed E! News that the couple would be keeping the proceedings amicable. The source told the outlet that Adele and Konecki wanted to keep things civil for the sake of their son Angelo. "It's highly unlikely this is going to get ugly," the source explained.
Their divorce was finalized in March 2021 and the source who spoke of the proceedings in 2019 was right. According to the Associated Press, the divorce did finalize amicably (via USA Today). According to documents obtained by the AP, the couple used mediation in discussing the terms of their divorce, and concluded that neither would pay spousal support. They also agreed to shared custody of Angelo.
Adele confirmed to British Vogue in October 2021 that there was no bad blood between her and her ex-husband. She explained that she just recognized that their relationship wasn't working for her anymore, but she also shared that she didn't have any regrets.
People fixated on Adele's weight post-split
People have been obsessing about Adele's appearance since she first came on the scene, and now that she's lost weight, the reviews about her body are still mixed. People noted all the way back in October 2019 that Adele was making some changes when she posted a pic from Drake's birthday party with the caption, "I used to cry but now I sweat," possibly referring to fitness.
In talking to British Vogue in October 2021, Adele reflected on people's obsession with her weight, particularly after her divorce. "It's ridiculous," she told the magazine. "I think it's that people love to portray a divorced woman as spinning out of control, like, 'Oh she must be crackers. She must've decided she wants to be a ho.' Because what is a woman without a husband?" Further, she explained that she started working out more to control her anxiety.
A source confirmed to Hollywood Life that Adele didn't lose the weight for anyone but herself. "There wasn't one thing that happened at all to make her start dieting and working out more, she just seemed to do it," the source told the outlet. "She doesn't really talk about it and people don't really ask. She's very, very private and seems to still be getting used to her new body and look. It was a really slow, gradual and healthy process."
She said her ex-husband 'saved' her
Post-divorce from her former husband, Simon Konecki, Adele opened up to Oprah about her special relationship with her ex. According to ET, Adele told Oprah, "I think Simon probably saved my life, to be honest with you. He came at such a moment, where the stability that him and Angelo have given me, no one else would ever have been able to give me."
Adele went on to tell Oprah that it was Konecki's stability that brought comfort into her life. She explained that she was young and could have gone in a bunch of different directions, but because of her relationship with Konecki, she was able to stay grounded.
Between her strength gained in taking control of her anxiety through working out and finding stability in her past marriage, Adele is truly embracing her 30-something confidence. An insider told People in 2020 that the singer has gained more self-confidence in herself. In reference to her post-divorce weight loss, the source told the magazine, "It's easy to just focus on her physical transformation, but this is really about something bigger."
Her song 'Water Under the Bridge' is about Simon Konecki
Despite the fact that Adele's "Water Under the Bridge" was written before her marriage to Simon Konecki, the lyrics are even more poignant after their divorce. Lyrics like "why have we been through what we have been through" and "if you're gonna let me down, let me down gently" reflect the amicable nature of the couple's divorce. In 2015, when the song dropped, she told Rolling Stone that she and Konecki didn't feel the need to get married.
"I have said a million times I'm not married and everyone still says we are," Adele told the outlet. "But, yeah, we're still together. We haven't broken up. We've never broken up. We've been together. We just haven't felt the need to get married. We've got a kid together. I feel like that's a big enough commitment." She told Beats 1 Radio that Konecki encouraged her to embrace her perspectives for her 2015 album, according to The Mirror.
"[Konecki] was like, 'This is your thing, like own it, do whatever you want,'" she told the radio station, per The Mirror. "Not that I've written any songs about any exes, there are a few songs about our relationship, but the actual true meaning behind them is how like brilliant we are and how much of a team we are." And that team they remain, despite their divorce, in co-parenting their son.
They share son Angelo
Simon Konecki and Adele had a momentous year in 2012 when they found out they were pregnant with their first child. Adele announced the pregnancy on her website and wrote: "I'm delighted to announce that Simon and I are expecting our first child together. I wanted you to hear the news direct from me, obviously we're over the moon and very excited but please respect our privacy at this precious time. Yours always, Adele xx" (per Us Weekly). Angelo was born on October 19, 2012, according to the Daily Mail.
Part of their amicable divorce included sharing custody of Angelo. Adele told Vogue that her ex-husband lives nearby, but the divorce's impact on their son was difficult for her. "He has so many simple questions for me that I can't answer, because I don't know the answer," she told the magazine. "Like, Why can't we still live together? That's just not what people do when they get divorced. But why not? I'm like, I don't f***ing know. That's not what society does. And: Why don't you love my dad anymore? And I'd be like, I do love your dad. I'm just not in love. I can't make that make sense to a nine-year-old."
Making the choice to leave her marriage, and thereby making Angelo unhappy, sometimes feels like a selfish choice, Adele told CBS (via Us Weekly). The singer then added that she hoped someday an adult Angelo will understand why the marriage had to end.
Adele's '30' is dedicated to her son Angelo
Adele's song "My Little Love" on her "30" album isn't just dedicated to her son Angelo — it includes him. The song features voice memos between herself and Angelo explaining the complicated emotions around her divorce from his dad, Simon Konecki. She told British Vogue that she hopes the album will serve as an explanation of the end of her marriage as well as a guiding light for Angelo's future relationships as he gets older.
"I just felt like I wanted to explain to him, through this record, when he's in his twenties or thirties, who I am and why I voluntarily chose to dismantle his entire life in the pursuit of my own happiness," the singer explained to the magazine. "It made him really unhappy sometimes. And that's a real wound for me that I don't know if I'll ever be able to heal."
The voice memos in "My Little Love" hit Adele fans hard. It looks like she and her son aren't the only ones using this music to heal. Whether the song has become a daily ritual or a way to get out all the feels, it seems this particular record really struck a chord. Fans also took notice when the song went over 80 million Spotify streams.
She dedicated her 2022 Album of the Year win to Simon and their son
At the 2022 BRIT Awards, Adele made a particularly poignant acceptance speech for her Album of the Year win for "30." She mentioned the influence of her son, Angelo, and her ex-husband, Simon Konecki, on the album and therefore, on its success.
"I'd like to dedicate this award to my son," the singer said, per People. "And to Simon, to his dad. This album was all of our journey, not just mine and I'm very proud of myself for sticking to my guns and putting out an album that was about something so personal to me. Cause not many people do stuff like that anymore. And my son has been so gracious, so gracious and kind and patient with me over the last couple of years and it's for him."
A fan on Twitter pointed out that, as of February 10, 2022, Adele's Album of the Year speech had the most views of the BRIT Awards acceptance speeches given that year. In fact, at that time, her speech had over 100,000 more views than the second most-watched video, which also belonged to Adele — her Song of the Year acceptance. Her Song of the Year speech also stirred controversy when Adele addressed the awards' new gender neutrality by saying "I love being a woman."
He surprised her for their fifth anniversary
When Adele had a concert the night of her fifth dating anniversary with Simon Konecki on October 16, 2016, her then-boyfriend had a trick up his sleeve. Per People, Adele concerts at that time included white confetti showers with song lyrics at the end of the show, but Konecki added in some of his own. People reported that he put in multi-colored confetti along with handwritten love notes to surprise Adele.
Us Weekly noted at the time that it didn't seem like Adele noticed the messages on the confetti during the concert. Per the outlet, she commented to fans that the confetti was usually white, not pink.
According to People, during her concert the night before the big romantic gesture, Adele told fans that she was contemplating another baby with Konecki. "My womb is starting to ache a little bit. It's like, 'Baby, baby, baby. Need a baby, need a baby,'" she reportedly said, before adding: "I'm not pregnant. I won't get pregnant until the end of the tour."
Adele admitted another person was around in the collapse of her marriage
Digging into her album "30," Adele told The Face that, before she started dating Rich Paul after divorcing Simon Konecki, there was someone else she had feelings for. The singer didn't name names, though she did explain that he was not someone she was in love with, but rather, just loved and had for a while. She told the outlet that she couldn't jump into a relationship right out of her divorce, because it was too hard, yet this unnamed person was still part of that turbulent time.
"I associate him with the breakdown of my marriage," she told The Face. "So therefore, he is part of the storm. And I was just, you know, really honest with him about it, thank God. Otherwise I could've found myself in a situation being in a relationship I didn't want to be in after coming out of one." She added that she had noticed herself going back to old patterns that she'd been cycling through since she was a teen.
Post-divorce Adele wasn't interested in L.A. hookup culture or dating apps, she told Apple Music (via The U.S. Sun). She added that going to bars wasn't fun either, because she would often get approached by married men.
She is now in an easy relationship
Adele told Oprah on CBS that her new relationship with sports agent Rich Paul was easy and that she has "loved [herself] and been open to loving and being loved by someone else," (per the Los Angeles Times). "It's just timing," she added in her interview with Oprah. "But it'd be interesting to see what my reaction is like in general to anything that hurts me now that I feel so secure in myself, and I'm talking outside of romance as well."
Following her divorce from Simon Konecki, there were several dating rumors swirling around Adele, including that she was with a rapper named Skepta. But since Adele and Paul have been dating for more than a year now, people have taken notice that the couple is talking publicly about children. Paul told E! News on June 10, 2022, that he is open to being a dad again (he has three children but had them young).
Meanwhile, in February 2022, Adele said she wants another baby during an interview on "The Graham Norton Show." "They're absolutely happening this year — I want a baby next year," she said after being asked about going on tour. "I have plans next year. Imagine if I have to cancel because I am having a baby!"