Ed Sheeran opened up about a difficult time in his life in an Instagram post earlier this month.
Ed, who tweeted to promote the imminent release of his album Subtract, recounted “a series of events” that transpired in 2022 that unexpectedly transformed his life and mental state.
“At the beginning of 2022, a series of events impacted my life, my mental health, and, ultimately, how I regarded music and art,” he wrote.
Ed first reported that his wife, Cherry Seaborn, had discovered a tumor while expecting their second child. Cherry was born in May 2022, and Ed announced the news without providing any other information about her health.
But, Ed revealed this year in a recent Instagram post that Cherry’s pregnancy had been exceedingly challenging.
And Ed claimed that this happened just a month after his best friend, Jamal Edwards, died unexpectedly.
Jamal, a tremendously prominent music entrepreneur and DJ died tragically at 31 in February 2022. With his SBTV YouTube site, he famously helped Ed establish his career, and the two had a strong bond.
“His light blazed so bright,” Ed wrote of Jamal during his tragic demise. He only used it to brighten the lives of others and never asked for anything in return. A star’s light burns for millions of years after it dies, and he will continue to illuminate every dark hour; we are all witnesses to his power.”
In an Instagram post earlier this month, Ed stated that Jamal, whom he identified as his “brother,” “died abruptly” within a month. At the same time, Cherry discovered she had a tumor “with no avenue to therapy till after the birth.”
Ed also appears to have cited his controversial April 2022 copyright battle, writing in his piece, “I found myself standing in court protecting my integrity and profession as a songwriter.” Artists Sami Chokri and Ross O’Donoghue sued Ed for copyright infringement. He was victorious in the case.
“I was in a downward spiral of fear, sadness, and worry.” “I felt like I was drowning, head under water, looking up but unable to break through for air,” he wrote.
Ed will now go into greater detail about these difficulties in a new Disney+ docuseries.
The newly released teaser opens by following Ed’s “unlikely” climb to prominence, with the singer even thanking Jamal for being the “one guy” who saw his promise early on.
Later in the video, Ed gushes about Cherry, adding, “Everything in my life got so much better when Cherry got into it.” I married, and I’m a father of two daughters.”
The tone of the docuseries shifts when Ed describes Cherry’s health worsening during her pregnancy.
While the teaser purports to show a glimpse of the couple at a hospital, Ed sounds melancholy as he characterizes Cherry’s health as “very poor.”
Following that, Ed can be heard saying, “And then suddenly, my best friend Jamal dies,” while much footage of the late music pioneer is shown onscreen. Ed then breaks down in tears in the trailer.
“The loss took over my life,” he says later, before defining life as “unpredictable” and stating that “plans can change pretty quickly.”
Ed’s docuseries will be released globally on May 3. You can check out the trailer here.
