...
By Lydia Mee
Sports Contributing Writer
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Richard Hammond, widely recognized for his time hosting"Top Gear" and "The Grand Tour" has announced a surprising end to his 23-year marriage to Mindy Hammond.
The announcement came through a joint statement on Richard's X account, where the couple disclosed their decision to divorce, marking the end of a 28-year relationship.
Richard and Mindy Hammond commented:
Read More on Racing
"A little update from us; this Christmas we were together as a family and this year we will still be a family but just structured a bit differently.
...
"Our marriage is coming to end, but we've had an amazing 28 years together and two incredible daughters.
"We will always be in each other's lives and are proud of the family we created.
"We won't be commenting further and sincerely hope that our privacy and that of our children will be respected at this time.
"With Love, Richard and Mindy."
Over the years, Richard Hammond has juggled his high-profile television career with a relatively private personal life. He first rose to fame alongside Jeremy Clarkson and James May on the BBC's "Top Gear."
Following his memorable stint on the show, Hammond continued his television journey with "The Grand Tour," an Amazon Prime Video production that started in 2016.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Hammond has managed to maintain a degree of privacy in his personal affairs.
Richard and Mindy Hammond share two daughters, Izzy and Willow, born in 2001 and 2004, respectively. Throughout Richard's career highs and personal lows, including two significant car accidents, Mindy has been a sturdy pillar of support.
In 2006, while filming "Top Gear," Richard was involved in a severe crash, which resulted in serious brain injuries. Despite these trying times, the Hammonds maintained their relationship.
Speaking about his crash in 2022, Richard Hammond opened up on Mindy's support, stating:
"In hospital, in intensive care, things were apparently not looking very good, but I didn't know. There was a lot of morphine floating around my system.
"I finally woke and I shared with my wife Mindy a dream I'd been having. A really, really vivid one - probably, partly, on a count of the morphine.
"And in my mind I'd been walking these hills here in the Lake District, overlooking Buttermere. I was having a lovely time strolling along and gradually I got a growing sense of — you know when you know you're in trouble? That feeling grew and grew.'
"It grew and grew until eventually in my dream I turned back... and then I woke."
In reality, Mindy explained to Richard that, "She had been called into intensive care and told 'Mrs Hammond, I'm really sorry. Things aren't looking good... we're going to lose him.'"
Hammond added:
"And she did. And apparently she roared and screamed and swore at me 'don't you dare die'. And that's when I turned back from this tree in my dream. And that's when I woke.
"My last thought took me somewhere I love and somewhere I'm happy.
"And that last thought, if I had shut down and stopped, would have echoed, as far as I was concerned, for all of eternity. And I've found immense comfort from it ever since.
"I'm not scared of this old tree. I pass it regularly... every time I pass it, I do feel comforted. I know it's where I'll go."
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines