Inside Brian Wilson and Melinda Ledbetter's marriage from saviour to heartbreak

31 January 2024 , 03:34

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Brian Wilson and Melinda Ledbetter first met in 1986 (Image: EXPRESS NEWSPAPERS)

Beach Boys' Brian Wilson announced on Tuesday that his wife Melinda Ledbetter died at 77 years old.

The frontman for the famous band took to Twitter to share the news. "My heart is broken. Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning. Our five children and I are just in tears," Brian wrote, "We are lost. Melinda was more than my wife. She was my savior. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career."

"She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor. She was everything for us. Please say a prayer for her. Love and Mercy Brian," he finished.

READ MORE: Brian Wilson 'heartbroken' as Beach Boys frontman announces the death of his wife

The couple met when she sold him a car (Getty Images North America)

The two first met in 1986 when she sold him a Cadillac car. The couple dated on and off again for three years before cementing their romance in 1992.

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After getting married in 1995, the couple adopted their five children - Dakota Rose, Daria Rose, Delanie Rose, Dylan, and Dash. The couple went through a lot together including Brian's mental health struggles over the years.

Melinda is credited with helping Brian get away from his psychiatrist Eugene Landy through a court order and getting her husband proper mental health care. A 2014 biopic, Love and Mercy, was about Melinda and Brian's relationship throughout this time.

A movie was made about the two (FilmMagic)

Melinda was obviously loved by Brian, and also by her children as well. Brian shared a message from them on social media that read: " is with a heavy heart that we let everyone know that our mom, Melinda Kay Ledbetter Wilson passed away peacefully this morning at home. She was a force of nature and one of the strongest women you could come by."

It continued: "She was not only a model, our fathers savior, and a mother, she was a woman empowered by her spirit with a mission to better everyone she touched. We will miss her but cherish everything she has taught us. How to take care of the person next to you with out expecting anything in return, how to find beauty in the darkest of places, and how to live life as your truest self with honesty and pride. We love you mom. Give Grandma Rose and Pa our love."

Tatiana Krisztina