Punk music legend John Lydon has made a poignant revelation, claiming that none of his former Sex Pistols bandmates contacted him after the death of his beloved wife, Nora Forster. Forster, who was married to Lydon for nearly five decades, passed away in April 2023 after battling Alzheimer's disease.
A Painful Silence in Grief
In a new and deeply personal interview with The Times, Lydon, famously known as Johnny Rotten, expressed his hurt and disappointment. He stated he had anticipated a message of condolence from guitarist Steve Jones, bassist Glen Matlock, and drummer Paul Cook, but it never arrived. The musicians are currently performing together with Frank Carter, who has taken Lydon's place in the line-up.
"I expected some kind of connection when Nora died, but nothing," Lydon said. The Independent has reached out to representatives for The Sex Pistols for comment regarding these claims.
Navigating Loss and a Lifelong Partnership
Lydon and German publishing heiress Nora Forster married in 1979. Speaking just two months after her passing, Lydon confessed that coping with the loss "has been much harder than he thought." He elaborated, saying, "I thought I would be able to handle this side of it, but it is, if anything, worse."
The singer shared an intimate detail of his mourning process, revealing, "I like to sleep with Nora's ashes in the cupboard next to the bed because there is no expectancy of meeting her in this life again." Reflecting on their enduring relationship amidst the chaos of fame, Lydon credited their honesty. "Nora and I argued a great deal, but the arguments were so stunning that they made life worthwhile, and we were always honest and open about everything."
Criticism of the 'Pistol' Biopic and Moving Forward
Elsewhere in the interview, Lydon did not hold back his criticism of the 2022 Danny Boyle-directed Sex Pistols biopic series, Pistol. He branded the show "terrible" and took issue with Boyle's stated aim that he didn't want Lydon to like it. Lydon felt this approach was "dismantling" the spirit of punk.
"What kind of ambition is that?" he questioned. "It sounds like an act of spite rather than any character understanding." Lydon, who was not consulted for the project, added, "Something in me wanted it to be good, but it might as well have been about the Partridge Family. I don't like anything to do with it because I wasn't asked to contribute."
After his initial departure from The Sex Pistols in 1979, Lydon founded the experimental group Public Image Ltd (PiL). He did sporadically reunite with the punk pioneers for tours in the 1990s and 2000s, but his latest comments highlight a significant and painful rift with his former colleagues during a time of profound personal sorrow.
