Footballer and movie star Vinnie Jones admitted he was still ‘broken’ inside, four years after his wife died at home.
The athlete-turned-movie star spoke about how the death of his wife ‘didn’t feel real’ four years after she passed away. Vinnie Jones’ wife tragically died in 2019, following a six-year health battle with skin cancer. Last year, he confessed he was still ‘broken inside’ after attempting to come to terms with his grief. The celebrity has also been speaking out on podcasts and interviews over the years about his struggles, raising awareness on mental health.
Vinnie Jones’ wife died at home – ‘The most traumatic day of our lives’
Tanya Jones was 53 when she died. In 2013, the couple were both diagnosed with melanoma. It’s the most dangerous form of the disease, and thousands a people every year across the die from it.
The couple received the all-clear two years later, however, Vinnie Jones’ wife was then told it returned.
Tanya had undergone a heart transplant earlier in her life, when she was in her 20s. Jones has said he believes the drugs she took since the surgery played a part. Whereas, for himself, he blamed his lifestyle, always being outdoors and moving to Los Angeles to pursue his Hollywood career.
The pair met only aged 12, and were childhood sweethearts – they were the epitome of true love when it came to celebrity couples. They tied the knot in 1994, but Vinnie Jones has now said he would never find another wife again.
Vinnie Jones said his wife’s death – losing his ‘rock’ – still didn’t ‘feel real’.
He told former Arsenal star Ray Parlour on Pub Talk in 2022 about the day after Tanya’s death. He said he tried to continue on with life: “We had nine holes, everyone was there. But the weird thing was, everybody was just doing their normal thing. This is the most traumatic day of our lives. This girl has just died, we’re never going to see her again, and everything is just carrying on.
“Every day it’s there. Three quarters of my day. When I’m working, I’m not thinking about it. If I’m just drifting, doing stuff or driving, it still hasn’t… it’s still not real to me. It’s still not real that she’s not there.”
The mental health platform is produced by Mola, and is also presented by broadcaster Alan Brazil.
Heartbreaking call on Christmas Eve
Tanya was informed her cancer had spread to her brain in a heartbreaking phone call on Christmas Eve. At the time, the couple had invited 15 or so family members round for the festive season.
The footballer later said it was the moment they came to realize it ‘beat them’. Despite the tragic news, Tanya chose to not tell her loved ones, and was determined to have “the best Christmas ever”, so she didn’t tell anyone.
Vinnie Jones later commanded his wife on her “bravery”. He said: “All she wanted to do was please people”.
He has also written a book, called, Lost Without You: Loving and Losing Tanya.
Vinnie Jones’ wife ‘made a spiritual connection’ after her death
The Mean Machine star also believes Tanya contacted him after she died.
He says at around midnight on the night she passed away, he was sitting outside.
Vinnie explained: “We always had this thing, Tans and I – when I was away I’d throw her a kiss and she’d catch it. There was a star, very close and not very high.
“So I said: “Is that you, babe?” Nothing. I went inside but thought… “I didn’t throw the kiss”. So I went back out, threw the kiss and the light went whoosh!” I swear that happened.”
A few years after she passed, Vinnie confirmed he sold their home in Watford, UK. The pair, who were married for 25 years, had the home for almost as long as they were husband and wife, and initially rented it out after making the big move to LA. After Vinnie’s wife, Tanya Jones, died, he put up their California house up for sale, but he kept the Watford real estate property until recently.
A friend of his reported: “It was a hard decision to sell it, but he wanted to close that door and focus on the future.”
A representative for the star at the time confirmed he had parted always with the second home.
The footballer, who played more than 500 games across his career, then became an actor after his retirement from the pitch. He went on to make more than 100 films, usually starring in films around criminals, gangsters, villains, and working on movies like X-Men and Mean Machine.
Movie star ‘struggles to comprehend’ his wife’s death
Last year, the celebrity admitted he was still ‘struggling’ with her death.
After visiting her grave on what would have been their wedding anniversary, he called grief “f*****g exhausting.”
He confessed to Stuff NZ: “[Grief] is a ghost, it’s a blanket. It wraps around you and it pulls you down. You don’t know when it’s going to happen, why it happens. It just happens.
“You’ve got to try and get your head above water, breathe in as long as you can because you know you’re going to be pulled under again.
“You got to give people what they want, or you f*****g drown. It’s f***ing exhausting [Sometimes I want to] build a 50 foot wall around to keep everybody out and keep me in,” the 59-year-old added.
“My spirit may be broken inside, but I think I’ve got enough knowledge and enough experience to cope with it.”
If you are affected by any issues raised in the article or would like someone to speak to, please call the Samaritans for free on 116 123. You can also email them at [email protected] or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch in the UK. In the US, please visit Samaritans USA for more information.
You can also contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text 741741 to get in touch with the Crisis Text Line. Americans can now call or text 988 to reach out and speak to a counselor.