We last left off in June of 1968 when John officially ended his relationship with Cynthia and going public with Yoko. If the breakup was bad to go through, the divorce proceedings is the worst part. Well, let's get this over and done with…
"The truth is that John was always attracted by strong personalities. After Brian's death, he needed someone to organise his life and Yoko, who had a very strong character, assumed that role. She was very sure of herself."
Cynthia, 1990
“Yoko and I were on the same wavelength right from the start, from that first night. That first night convinced me I'd have to end my marriage to Cyn.”
John
Cynthia and Julian on the grounds of Kenwood after John left for good during the summer of 1968. From Cynthia's personal collection.
In June of 1968, John filed for divorce against Cynthia, citing her “adultery” with either Magic Alex Madras or Roberto Bassanini… I think it was mainly Alex. Alex probably exaggerated to John about Cynthia's three days stay with him and Jenny Boyd. Or Alex told John the truth that Cynthia pushed his advances away but both decided to say it happened so that John could say he got jilted and turned to Yoko for sympathy and revenge. John had his squeaky clean Beatle image to protect but it was obvious to everyone that this wasn't the case; it was clear that John could be an asshole. John was very open about his love affair with Yoko, that didn't help with his tarnishing image. Not long afterwards, John and Yoko became gypsies, moving temporary out of Kenwood to Paul McCartney's, then to Neil Aspinall's, before eventually moving in Ringo Starr's bachelor apartment 34 Montagu Square after Lillian Powell moved out… well, after Lillian, Cynthia, and Julian moved out back to Kenwood, Jimi Hendrix briefly lived there and then John and Yoko moved in. I don't know why John decided to let Cynthia back to the house other than for Julian's sake but it was clear that it wasn't going to be her home much longer. Only enough to get whatever items she wanted; it was also the home that Julian ever really had known as he was just a baby in Mendips, the Powell family home, and the Emperor's Gate apartment. Plus, I don't think John could have handled being there as he was trying to create a new home life with Yoko. It was his home with Cynthia- Yoko must have felt awkward with all the John-and-Cyn memories that were attached to the house.
John and Yoko in Abbey Road Studios during The Beatles/White album recording sessions in 1968
Photographed by Linda Eastman (McCartney)
At some point in late June, maybe early July, Paul McCartney drove over to check on Cynthia and Julian… I promise you that I will have an entry solely dedicated to Hey Jude as it deserves its own post… but other than Paul, no one else visited Cynthia and Julian. Not Maureen Starkey, not Pattie Harrison or even Jane Asher. Well, maybe exception of Jane as she too was going through a breakup with Paul. But Maureen and Pattie? I have heard many times over the years that John made it very clear that if anybody in his world- friends, employees, hanger-ons- reached out to Cynthia, they would receive John's wrath. Only Paul rebelled. Probably a way of saying f'off and their partnership was starting to deteriorate on its own. I don't know why the rule 'talk to Cyn, feel John's wrath’ would affect Maureen and Pattie but I guess tensions were running high and The Beatles were struggling to keep it together. Ringo and George probably told their wives that it wouldn't be a good idea. However, I do know that it didn't last a long time until Cynthia, Maureen, and Pattie reignite their friendship. Anyway, let's stick to 1968. John started to bring in Yoko to the recordings and didn't blink an eye or anything whenever Yoko started to voice her opinions on the songs, which did not sit well with Paul, George, or Ringo. For 6 years, the recording studio was the guy domain… sure the ladies would come in to visit but it was rare, not a long visit, and they would leave. But from morning to night, every day? Must have been weird! They barely knew Yoko and she's all of the sudden talking on how the song should be like she was a 5th Beatle band member while love-struck John hung to her every word. They weren't happy and this continued well over a year until the band’s breakup unraveled. However, because if John could bring in Yoko, then Ringo and George could bring in Maureen and Pattie more often and Paul brought in his new girlfriend Linda Eastman. Fair deal.
“At HQ Apple, we only heard bits and pieces of all this as it went down. Most women whose husbands betrayed them, get on the phone and call everyone who will listen and then start at the top of the list again. Cynthia was very shy and very private. As far as I know, the only person she fully confided in was Paul, who made her smile and feel better when he said, ‘Hey, Cyn, how's about you and I get married?’ Paul really lit into John before he sat down and wrote Hey Jude, one of his most beautiful and successful songs, to express his love and sympathy for Julian, who was caught up in the middle. Paul, who believed strongly in the family and in family values, told me that he felt as if it was the Beatles themselves who were heading for divorce, not just John and Cynthia… By now, she was Yoko of Kenwood, much to Mrs. Powell's despair. She told Cynthia to put up a fight; but Cynthia was too upset and frightened of what she had seen in Yoko's eyes, and fled to Italy with Julian. With the press camped all around the house, Kenwood was impossible to live in, so John and Yoko escaped the back way and holed up in Ringo and Maureen's old home when they first came to London.”
Tony Bramwell
John and Yoko at their art exhibition You Are Here at the Robert Fraser Gallery on July 1, 1968
John and Cynthia's only source of communication was Peter Brown during this time and afterwards to organize Julian's visits with John. Cynthia wanted to meet with John face to face to talk. At this time, their lawyers were handling the divorce. But, Cynthia wanted to talk to her soon-to-be ex husband to clear the air, discuss any terms and agreements, Julian, and closure. For awhile, John refused until Peter wore him down 'get it over and done with’. John and Yoko did turn up and the meeting didn't go as well as Cynthia thought it could be. John was icy- cold, accusational, and putting Cynthia in a bad light that she was no angel herself. Well, honestly, compared to John, Cynthia was an angel… she didn't cheat, she didn't get hooked on drugs. Not only the Magic Alex thing, but John assumed Cynthia had an affair with Tom Simcox, an actor, while in India. There was no affair other than Tom asking Cynthia if she had a twin sister; otherwise all their interactions happened in public view and John was ignoring Cynthia anyway. John claimed Tom wrote Cynthia a note that he gave to George but he gave it to John out of loyalty. Cynthia never received this note… she did get curious, what did the note say? I'm curious too… too bad Cynthia and Tom didn't eventually hook up, I would've had loved to see John's reaction to that! I did Google Tom (as I honestly never heard of him) and he's quite handsome, still alive. Well, needless to say, this meeting got Cynthia no where. Cynthia wrote in her book John that they met again in the lawyer's office to sign paperwork but according to Pete Shotton, there was an additional meeting at Kenwood with the lawyers and according to Ray Coleman's Lennon biography, another 3rd divorce meeting at Paul's house. John filed for divorce in June but Cynthia countersue for divorce on August 22, 1968 (a day before their 6th anniversary) citing John's adultery with Yoko. John, probably on advice from his lawyers, didn't fight it as there was evidence that he couldn't hide nor deny. The final divorce meeting was at the lawyer's office to finalize the deal.
“The terms of the divorce were hammered out at a meeting in Kenwood, attended by John and Yoko, Cynthia and Mrs. Powell, and their respective lawyers. Though I was in the house at the time, I once again refused to take part; for all my pleasure in John's newfound happiness, I had grown extremely fond of Cyn over the years, and found the denouement to their marriage more than a bit painful. I did, however, make a point of greeting Cyn and her mother when they arrived for the meeting. Cyn managed a sick little smile, indicating to me that she absolved
me of any blame in the break-up; her mother, by contrast, refused even to acknowledge my presence, and stormed through the door with a fixed scowl on her face. After they left an hour or two later, I asked John how the meeting went. ‘It was total fucking nonsense!’ he wailed. ‘Every time I tried to say something to Cyn, her lawyer would interrupt and say I wasn't allowed to speak to her. I could only talk to my lawyer, who'd speak to her lawyer, and he'd speak to Cyn! Finally, I just said: 'Look, Cyn, just take whatever you fucking want. Sort it out among yourselves, let me know, and I'll fucking give it to you!’’ According to John, however, Mrs. Powell was permitted to forgo the services of Cyn's lawyer when she took it upon herself to tell her son-in-law exactly what she'd thought of him all these years. ‘You lout, you scum, you long-haired Teddy Boy!’ she screamed. ‘I wish my daughter had never laid eyes on you!’
Pete Shotton, 1983
One of the final offers John was willing to hand over to Cynthia was £75,000 because he didn't think Cynthia deserved much… yeah, I disagree with that! Cynthia was with him for 10 years and gave him support, stability, love, a child, a comfort of home, a muse, etc. But, with Yoko there and whispering sweet nonsense in his ears, plus no doubt drugs, particularly now heroin, John was playing hardball. Cynthia eventually got £100,000 as an one-time alimony and yearly child support and school fees of £2,4000 for Julian. A trust fund for Julian was set up for £100,000 but it was to be cut up in half or so if John was to have another child; so, when Sean was born in 1975, both boys’ trust became £50,000 each plus interest. Too bad Cynthia didn't know Heather Mills (who was a baby at the time) who managed to get £24.3 million or so from her divorce from Paul in 2008 after a few years of marriage. While many viewed Heather as a gold-digger because of that, many viewed the opposite of Cynthia as she should've fought for more. Cynthia did get less than Heather, Maureen (who got £500,000 plus child support as well as regular alimony payments), while Pattie got a similar amount as Cynthia's but she was involved with Eric Clapton at the time who was able to provide for her and had a no-fault divorce; I do believe George would've been more willing to provide more to the settlement. Ringo, George, and Paul were more generous to their ex-wives, unlike John. Cynthia realized she was lucky but, in my opinion, not lucky enough. But Cynthia got what she really wanted: primary custody of Julian.
"Everyone told me go for more, but I couldn't do it, I took what I needed and I think it's made me a better person. I would rather be me without the money than Yoko with."
Cynthia, 1999
"The lawyers told me to ask for more but I didn't want to, I loved him."
Cynthia, 2000
John and Yoko leaving Marylebone Magistrates' Court in London on October 19, 1968 after being arrested the previous day for drug possession.
Meanwhile, while recording the White album, managing Apple, doing drugs (heroin was the new favorite), and expecting a baby with Yoko, they were arrested for drug possession. They claimed to have been warned 3 weeks in advance. Because Jimi was in the apartment before them, John and Yoko cleaned the apartment from top to bottom. It was later discovered that the drugs were planted after George and Pattie were arrested the following year but the damage was too late; John would have trouble with his passport/visa and would have to fight tooth and nail to live in the United States. John and Yoko were arrested on October 18th and appeared in court on the 19th. In fear that Yoko could be deported, John claimed sole responsibility. On October 25th, John and Yoko announced their baby news, due in February. How John's arrest didn't affect the possibility of his visitation custody of Julian in court amazes me; I think in today's standards, it would have.
Cynthia outside the divorce court in London on November 8, 1968
Yoko and John in the hospital during the miscarriage of their baby in November of 1968
On November 4th, Yoko was admitted to Queen Charlotte's Maternity Hospital; I guess she was feeling pains and went as a precaution to save their baby. John was at her side all the way, sleeping in the bed next to her until the bed needed to be used so John slept on the floor. They watched on the news of Cynthia arriving and leaving court on November 8th to swore under law that her marriage to John has ended by the judge. Yoko lost the baby boy on November 21st, they named the baby John Ono Lennon II. A small coffin and a secret burial site for the baby. They recorded his heartbeat that appeared on their second album, Life With Lions. When Cynthia heard the news, she was genuinely sorry. It's been said that the unborn baby died due to stress of their arrest… and, I believe more so than anything, Yoko's consumption of heroin. Honestly, I do not think or believe that John and Yoko were ready for the child. Especially in that time period of their lives and their relationships with Julian and Kyoko were fragile enough as it was. There was so much going on then; although I have no doubt that the loss really affected both John and Yoko.
Yoko and John on the grounds of Kenwood after Cynthia and Julian moved out in December of 1968.
Photographed by Susan Wood
As part as the divorce settlement, Cynthia had to move out and get her own place. There was no way that she could have managed to maintain the house with the amount John paid out. It was also too large for her. After Cynthia moved out, John and Yoko moved back in for a few months before settling to Tittenhurst Park after living like gypsies while getting married on March 20, 1969. Yoko's divorce from Tony Cox became finalized in February of 1969 however custody of Kyoko continued to battle until 1972 when Tony and Kyoko disappeared.
"If only he had kept his own house in order, he wouldn't have had to preach peace and love to the whole world. There was always that discrepancy with those who were close to John."
Cynthia, 1999
"I wanted to get away from that house. It had too many memories for me. I took Julian, bought a house in London, and asked my mum to move in with us while the divorce went through. She came at once. She's always been there in times of crisis. But on the day of the divorce I insisted on her staying at home while I went to the court. It was something I felt I had to do on my own. The publicity was terrible. I couldn't move without being badgered. But I must admit some of the press was very kind and said some lovely things about me. Marje Proops wrote a beautiful piece in the Daily Mirror which gave me a great lift, because I was feeling very low and rather frightened about the next step in life, and wondering where I went from there."
Cynthia, 1976
“In mid-February my brother went to India with Cynthia. I heard it on the news… My head was in another space. I had been swotting like mad, then celebrating in the same way. We didn’t have a television and we listened to music rather than the news. When I did finally learn that John and Cynthia were parting I was terribly sad. Cyn had been a part of our lives for so many years, and a friend to me and Jackie. I knew how hard it must have been for her, and I felt so sorry for Julian, who was only five. That November John and Cyn’s divorce came through, and three weeks later John and Yoko released the Two Virgins album, probably best remembered for the two non-virgins on the cover.”
Julia Dykins Baird
"There was nothing basically wrong with my marriage to Cyn. It was just like an amber light. It wasn't on go and it wasn't on stop. I suppose that me being away so much during the early years of our marriage, I never did feel like the average married man."
John, 1968
