The Mirror examines Richard Branson’s first marriage to Kristen Tomassi as he announced the sad passing of his wife Joan Branson.
Sir Richard Branson, the billionaire, paid tribute to his sadly 80-year-old wife Joan Branson, who has sadly passed away. Few people may recall that the Virgin tycoon separated before finding the woman he poignantly called his “guiding light.”
When Richard first laid eyes on Joan in the bric-a-brac shop where she worked in Westbourne Grove, west London, he was already married to Kristen Tomassi, an American woman who would later break his heart and send him “chasing her all around the world”.
Richard, age 75, and Kristen were just getting married. She was a 20-year-old architecture and design student when he was just 21 and was already gaining notoriety as the head of Virgin Records. In Shiptonon-Cherwell, close to Richard’s Manor Studios, the couple tied the knot in the summer of 1972 at Holy Cross Church.
By the end of the 1970s, however, it was over, with psychedelic singer-songwriter Kevin Ayers later disclosing his reasons for not saying why the marriage had ended and how he had been accused of “stealing” the wife of one of the richest men in the world.
READ MORE: Joan Branson: Richard recalls exactly how long it took for him to fall for his wife
Speaking with the Mirror in September 1998, Kevin, who died in 2013 at the age of 68, told of how he and Kristen allegedly fell for each other at a party thrown by Richard himself, who reportedly didn’t anticipate just how far things would go.
The spark was ignited at a celebration held in Branson’s former residence in Notting Hill, West London, in the 1970s, according to Kevin. At the time, Virgin was interested in signing Kevin, a former Soft Machine member, and Richard invited the popstar to the event. However, it would seem that Kevin’s foremost priority was business on that night.
“It was a wealthy, middle-class affair with all the typical rock and roll, drugs, and alcohol. Then, as soon as I saw this gorgeous, willowy blonde, Kristen, there was a sudden, life-changing flash of light. Over the following few years, our attraction grew. Everyone was aware that Richard and his wife were both having a party, so I kept sending her postcards saying “Hi, it’s me” because I was aware of this.
Kevin, who was born in Kent and later moved to Montolieu, France, claimed Richard initially encouraged the singer’s growing kinship with Kristen because he was drawn to Cyrille’s then wife. In fact, Richard allegedly organized a party on his houseboat on the Regent’s Canal in Little Venice, London because he was so taken by Cyrille.
The two couples drank plenty of wine, setting the stage for seduction with candles, scatter cushions, and atmospheric music, and desire quickly acceded.
Kevin revealed that “he vanished into the bedroom with Cyrille, leaving me and Kristen staring at each other over the remains of the meal.” I recognized Kristina’s nonplussed behavior as if she had anticipated it, but I soon realized it would be a very significant evening for me.
“We had plenty of wine to drink, so it was no problem.” I didn’t feel awkward being by myself with his wife, as it appeared as though Richard had planned it. For us, it just sat there. We became intimate because we had a good chemistry and everything seemed natural, even though we didn’t have any sex that night.
My heart and brain both caught fire, I felt a spark. This was a developing passion, not just a one-night stand. When I night-boat left, Cyrille said to me, “Branson was so cheap that I wouldn’t even pay my taxi fare home.” There was no coercion, though. She liked having him to sleep with.
In the weeks that followed, Kevin and Kristen first became acquainted during nights out at bars and concerts, and they eventually moved into bedtime. Kevin said, “I assumed Richard knew. He proudly boasted about their open marriage. However, his issue was that he was losing control as a result of what had initially seemed to him to be a game.
How could you possibly steal my wife while Richard was allegedly confronting him about the blossoming romance, Kevin claims. He was very emotional and enraged. No one steals a woman, I said because she had her own opinion.
Richard made a desperate decision to win Kristen over Kevin when it became clear that he had chosen her over him. He pleaded with her during late-night phone calls and in a flurry of desperate letters.
Kevin recalled that his interpretation of the events was pathological because he couldn’t stand losing. He emailed Kristen a number of letters and calls saying, “How can you leave me? ” for a year. It was heartbreaking and nerve-wracking.
He’d be calling me for hours while I waited in the other room and bit my nails. Kristina never explained what he said to me. She was so upset about it. He capitalized on her guilt, and she felt very sorry. However, Kristen refused to cause him harm. It was as simple as that when we fell in love.
In Kevin’s words, those early years were “idyllic.” Before purchasing a home in Mallorca, they built a house together in Provence and welcomed their daughter Galen. However, after five years of dating, things finally started to unravel.
Kevin concluded that moving to Majorca was a bad choice, saying, “But it was a very bad move on my part. A meat market full of foreigners all displaying their allegiances and in person was a very active social scene. Because my career was deteriorating, Kristen needed more security.
We “drift apart,” he said. Then she moved in with wealthy German real estate developer Axel Ball, keeping Galen. She has had two boys with Axel, and she has had a great relationship with him. She was probably correct to depart. Although my precarious lifestyle was appealing, she was mad at it.
Richard and Kristen divorced in 1979 after their marriage ended, and despite his initial heartache, he later saw things differently, noting how young they had been when they had walked down the aisle. He stated in a 2014 interview with The Guardian that “we were probably a little too young.” My ex and my ex-friends still get along well, and mine and her children also get along.
On Necker Island, which he had previously admitted to impressing his second wife, Richard wed Joan in 1989. Before Joan’s passing, the couple spent 50 happy years together before Richard’s passing. Richard wrote in a heartbreaking statement: “Heartbroken to share that Joan, my wife and partner for 50 years, has passed away. Our children and grandchildren could have wished for the most wonderful mother and grandmother. She was my world, my ally, my guide, and my best friend. I’ll miss you forever, Joan X.
Do you have a tale to tell? Contact me at julia@gmail.com. banim@reachplc.com Follow Mirror Celebs on Threads, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat.
READ MORE: Inside Richard Branson’s 50-year relationship with ‘love of his life’ as he issues tribute
Source: Mirror
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