By Caitlin O'Kane

March 1, 2023 / 4:03 PM / CBS News

Singer Ed Sheeran revealed on Instagram on Wednesday that his wife, Cherry Seaborn, was diagnozed with a tumor when she was pregnant with their second child. Sheeran made the announcement in a long post about his newest album, "Subtract," which he said was full of his "deepest darkest thoughts."

"Within the space of a month, my pregnant wife got told she had a tumour, with no route to treatment until after the birth," Sheeran wrote." The 32-year-old revealed in May that he and Seaborn welcomed their second baby girl. The couple also has a 2-year-old daughter, Lyra. 

Sheeran and Seaborn are very private and the star does not often post about his family life. The pair wed in 2019, according to BBC News. He did not give an update on his wife's health in the post, but CBS News has reached out to a representative for further comment. 

A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos)

In his post, Sheeran listed other difficult challenges he faced last year. "My best friend Jamal, a brother to me, died suddenly," he wrote. Jamal Edwards is a British entrepreneur credited with giving Sheeran his big break through his media company SBTV, according to BBC News. He died at age 31 after a "sudden illness," his family announced in February 2022.

"I found myself standing in court defending my integrity and career as a songwriter," Sheeran said, referring to a lawsuit over his 2017 song "Shape of You," which alleged Sheeran plagiarized the song from an artist named Sami Switch. Sheeran won the case in April 2022. 

"I was spiralling through fear, depression and anxiety. I felt like I was drowning, head below the surface, looking up but not being able to break through for air," he continued in his post. 

Sheeran said that he had been working on "Subtract" for a decade, but the events that unfolded in 2022 changed his life, mental health and the way he viewed music and art. So, about a week ago, the entire album was replaced with his "deepest darkest thoughts."

He said writing songs is his therapy and that while writing this album, he "just wrote whatever tumbled out." "For the first time, I'm not trying to craft an album people will like, I'm merely putting something out that's honest and true to where I am in my adult life," he wrote.

The album is due out May 5, according to BBC News. "Subtract" follows a series of other mathematic-themed albums – "Plus," "Multiply, "Divide" and "Equals."

Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift.

First published on March 1, 2023 / 4:03 PM

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