John Lydon, better known as Johnny Rotten, is upset. And hurt. And probably puzzled. The former Sex Pistols frontman, 69, reportedly can't wrap his head around the fact that his former punk rock bandmates did not reach out to him in compassion and sympathy when his beloved wife, Nora Forster, died in 2023. For Lydon, it was a truly crushing loss. He told The Times of London that her passing was "the greatest tragedy of my life so far. She taught me everything about love." The two were married for 44 years until her tragic death from Alzheimer's complications.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Lydon had meningitis as a youngster, which badly impacted his memory. He therefore understood what Nora was grappling with. Lydon described his own ordeal as "Four years of torture, not fully knowing who you are, why you're there or who these people around you are." He put it even more succinctly. "I knew what [Nora] was going through."
Carrying on without her has been very hard for Lydon. He apparently even considered taking his own life out of despair and unbearable grief. Per the outlet, he shared, "You have to consider all the possibilities because that kind of pain is so overwhelming."
Lydon Is Still Adjusting To Being Without His Wife
In spite of his intense bereavement, Lydon feels some "relief" at not being a caregiver anymore. That role is often incredibly challenging, even for a devoted spouse, both emotionally and physically. Per the outlet, Lydon said, "...[I]t's a horrible thing to say but there is a relief there."
And he says there was a complete absence of support from the Sex Pistols. It rankles him. Lydon claims he has not talked to them "for years." He acknowledged, "I expected some kind of connection when Nora died, but nothing."
He Weighed in on Today's Punk Rock Scene
You could certainly say that the Sex Pistols were trailblazers in their genre. That stature gives Lydon the heft to critique today's punksters. (He's with the band Public Image Ltd, or PiL, now.) His comments to the outlet had a pointedly dismissive tone. "You could be influenced by my earlier work, but please don't show any signs of imitating it. You have to have your own ideas."
