‘My heart is broken’: The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson reveals devastating loss

The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson has taken to social media to announce the heartbreaking loss of his “beloved” wife, Melinda Ledbetter Wilson, who passed away at the age of 77.

Wilson shared the devastating news in a moving Instagram post, revealing that he his “heart is broken”.

“Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning,” he wrote.

“Our five children and I are just in tears. 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.”

 

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Fans were quick to offer their love and “sincere condolences” to Wilson following the tragic news of his loss.

“Our thoughts are with you and your family, Brian. So deeply sorry to hear of your loss. My deepest condolences,” one person wrote.

“My sincere condolences to you and your family Brian. I am so sorry for your loss, my heart is with you.”

“Sending love to you and your family, Brian. May Melinda’s memory be for a blessing.”

“I’m deeply sorry for your loss, Brian, and for the terrible hurt you are all feeling. My heart, love, and prayers are with you and your family,” commented another.

“Much love and best wishes to you and your family, Brian.”

The post also featured a heartbreaking message from the couple’s children, honouring their beloved mother as “a force of nature”.

“It 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,” they wrote.

“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.”

Wilson and Melinda tied the knot in 1995, expanding their family through the adoption of Dakota Rose, Daria Rose, Delanie Rose, Dylan, and Dash.

Their love story began in 1986 when she sold him a Cadillac, leading to a three-year on-and-off courtship. Fate intervened in 1992 when the God Only Knows hitmaker and his future bride crossed paths in Los Angeles, reigniting their romance.

In 2014, their love story became the subject of the biographical film Love & Mercy, featuring John Cusack and Elizabeth Banks portraying Brian and Melinda.