Tearful Ed Sheeran Opens Up About His Wife's Health Issues And Loss Of His Best Friend

Ed Sheeran broke down while talking about his struggles in the past year, dealing with his best friend's loss and his wife's health issues. The artist shared it all in the trailer for his new documentary "The Sum Of It All."

Sheeran also revealed that "Eyes Closed," a track on his upcoming album "Subtract," is dedicated to his late friend Jamal Edwards. He also opened up about his mental health struggles. 

Keep on reading to learn more.

In a sneak peek of a new four-part series on Disney+, Ed Sheeran breaks down while discussing his emotional struggles regarding his wife Cherry Seaborn's health and the sudden loss of his best friend, Jamal Edwards. The trailer for "The Sum Of It All," set to debut on May 3, shows the famous British musician in tears in the backseat of a car.

The 32-year-old star opened up about spiraling into depression when his wife was diagnosed with a tumor while pregnant in 2021, which delayed her treatment. To make matters worse, his first mentor, and best friend, Jamal Edwards, died of a heart attack in February 2022.

In the trailer, Sheeran is seen grappling with losing his close friend and the challenge of supporting his wife during her health battle while preparing for the birth of their second child, Jupiter, in May 2022.

During an interview in the upcoming four-part series on Disney+, Sheeran revealed that his initial idea for the documentary was just "me in the studio, and we'll play a gig." However, after a traumatic year, he realized the documentary would be much more profound. The four-part series, set to premiere in six weeks, will chart Sheeran's path to becoming a global sensation.

The trailer, which has already moved fans to tears, begins with the "Shape of You" hitmaker discussing his childhood and how he grew up with a stutter and with comments like, "That guy doesn't grow up to be a pop star. It's so unlikely." The teaser also includes childhood footage of Sheeran and clips of the pop star performing on stage during his sold-out arena tours.

Although Sheeran has only released a snippet of his upcoming song, the lyrics are already incredibly moving. In the teaser, he sings: "So I'm dancing with my eyes closed. 'Cos everywhere I look, I still see you."

The "How Would You Feel" singer shared the story of his friendship with Edwards, who was not only a close friend but also the person who helped him get his first big break in the music industry. Sadly, Edwards passed away last year at 31 due to a cardiac arrest induced by cocaine and alcohol.

In honor of his late friend, Sheeran has dedicated his first single from his upcoming album "Subtract," called "Eyes Closed," to Edwards. The track is set to be released on March 24. 

In a recent Instagram post addressed to his 42 million followers, Sheeran revealed that the song's inspiration came from Jamal's death's profound impact on him and that he is "dancing with my eyes closed to try to get through it."

He continued, "This song is about losing someone, feeling like every time you go out, and you expect to just bump into them, and everything reminds you of them and things you did together."

Sheeran recently opened up about his struggles with mental health and suicidal thoughts following losing his best friend.

Speaking candidly in an interview with Rolling Stone, the megastar described feeling like he was drowning and suffocating, especially after the death of another close friend, Australian cricketer Shane Warne, the following month. He admitted that he initially felt ashamed about his suicidal thoughts, believing they were selfish.

In the interview, he spoke openly about his lifelong battle with depression, revealing that he only began addressing his issues last year. "I felt like I didn't want to live anymore. And I have had that throughout my life.… You're under the waves drowning. You're just sort of in this thing. And you can't get out of it," he shared.

Despite feeling embarrassed about his depression, particularly as a father, Sheeran said his wife encouraged him to seek professional help. With her support, he began seeing a therapist.