Background Mirror

 

Cynthia's Stepdaughters

Cynthia first became a stepmother to a young girl when she married John Twist in 1976. I don't have any information on that as Cynthia never spoke about her - perhaps protecting Ms. Twist's privacy. Cynthia only made a passing mention of the young girl publicly in one of her life stories (for the life of me, I can't remember where I read it from... 1994 HELLO! magazine or 2005 book John...? No matter the source, it was mentioned somewhere!) so I have no clue on Cynthia's relationship with Ms. Twist. 

Cynthia became a stepmother again in 2002. Noel Charles had four daughters from three previous relationships: Lisa, Penelope, Chloe, and Rosanna. 

From my research (mostly social media), Lisa, Chloe, and Rosanna are close together and were close to their father. Noel more or less admitted he wasn't around a lot as a father: Lisa was raised in the foster care system in England, both Chloe and Rosanna were mostly with their mothers in Canada and Sweden. I honestly have no idea about Penelope; I only know she shares the same mother with Lisa and had no relationship with Noel although he always counted her as his. Unfortunately I couldn't find anything else on the internet on Penelope. Cynthia had a relationship with the three girls, and got along well with them.

Lisa Senford O'Donovan was born on October 2, 1960 while her parents were college students. Wanting to be able to focus on their studies, Lisa was put in the foster care system (for the record, Noel did offer Sonja marriage but her parents really wanted their daughter to be a radiologist). Noel went to Barbados for four months while Sonja was pregnant with their second daughter but by the time he returned, Sonja had vanished and he had no idea on the whereabouts on Penelope. Sonja did get Lisa out of foster care and Noel was able to reunite with Lisa in the 1970s. Lisa currently lives in Romford, England and has an adult son named Joel born on July 20, 1985. 

Chloe

Chloe Charles was born on May 24, 1985 during his marriage to Victoria Richmond and for the first six months of her life, Noel got to really experience fatherhood... until his marriage to her mother failed (the divorce took over 20 years to be finalized). Noel moved away and didn't see Chloe for quite some time but they were able to established a close relationship. Chloe met Cynthia when she was 16 when she went to Normandy, France to visit her father. When Noel and Cynthia went to Toronto to surprise Chloe on her 17th birthday, they decided to get married while there with Chloe in attendance. Chloe became a singer and musician, living in Canada. She is married to Chris Argiropulos and they have two children, Dafni Victoria on October 4, 2019 and Evander Heath on April 25, 2021. Chloe has met May Pang and is close to Julian.

Rosanna

Rosanna Charles was born on April 16, 1989 during his relationship with Ann Eklund while still legally married to Victoria Richmond. Rosanna was 10 years old when Noel and Cynthia got together; not too much is known but from what I can tell there was a good relationship with stepmother a nd daughter. Rosanna lives in Sweden as a casting agent.

Her Final Love: Noel

"All my life I have been searching for my own heart, and with Cynthia I have found my heart. My life is my home, and my home is where the heart lives."

Noel Charles, 2012

Noel Charles

Noel Henry Charles was born on December 20, 1940 in Trinidad to Henry Joseph Braithwaite (changing his last name to Charles) and Drucilla. His parents were very religious, his father was a Preacher while owned a shoe making and repair business. Noel had an older (adopted) sister Dorothy and a younger brother Courtenay. Behind his father's back, his mother abused Noel and Courtenay while Dorothy was the favorite spoiled child. In 1958, while attending London School of Economics, Noel becomes involved with a woman named Sonja, who was studying radiology. Noel worked as a social secretary for the student union at college and got an insight of night clubbing when he went to The Cromwellian. However his girlfriend Sonja got pregnant. They decided to put their daughter Lisa with foster parents while they were more focused on their studies. Noel and Sonja soon welcomed another daughter Penelope; but when she was born, Noel was living in Trinidad for four months. When he returned, Sonja had left Noel and vanished - she got married, and reclaimed Lisa from faster care system. Noel reunited with Lisa in the 1970s but never met Penelope. He left his school job worked at The Cromwellian for two years before going to Mallorca, where he met Alexandra Gefvert and moved to Sweden in 1967. They married and opened a restaurant & nightclub, Alexandra's in Sweden, which ran until 1988. In 1972, Noel and Alexandra opened another nightclub in Barbados, also called Alexandra's, but by 1976, they divorced. Noel moved around over the years (Mustique, Canada, New York, Sweden, England, then back to Barbados); After his divorce, Noel remarried to Victoria Richmond in 1984. They had a daughter, Chloe, the following year. After 6 months after Chloe's birth, the marriage fell apart and Noel left, yet they remained married for many years. He got into a relationship with Ann Eklund and they had a daughter, Rosanna, in 1989. 

Noel and his first wife, Alexandra

Noel and girlfriend Ann Eklund, with whom he shared a daughter Rosanna with.

In 1981, while in London, Noel met Julian Lennon at a nightclub, Tramps, and became good friends. Although Noel wasn't in the music business, he knew the people who were and tried to connect Julian for a record deal. 

"Noel Charles is the older brother I never had and also, in many ways, the father I always wanted. Today he remains one of my dearest friends"

Julian

During the Christmas holidays in 1998, Julian went to Barbados with Cynthia and her best friend Phyllis Mackenzie. Cynthia had recently broken up with Jim Christie (who fell in love with another woman and they announced it during a dinner party hosted by Jim... and Cynthia. Yikes! That's more worst than how Cynthia found John and Yoko together: Jim's breakup happened at a party!) Cynthia noticed Noel being around, Julian introduced them. At first, although they enjoyed each other's company, Noel and Cynthia rubbed each other the wrong way. However, a year later when Julian and Cynthia returned to Barbados to celebrate Christmas and New Years, Noel and Cynthia clicked. On New Year's Eve of 1999, Noel, Cynthia, Julian, and friends went out for dinner, then to Harry's Crocodile Den bar. Noel and Cynthia went to his home where they consummated their relationship on January 1, 2000. Julian and his friends took notice! Since their first meeting in 1998, Cynthia and Noel discuss writing memoirs; Cynthia offered her home (with two bedrooms) in Normandy for Noel to write in peace and quiet with no distractions. Noel promised to consider the idea. When they saw each other again a year later, Cynthia asked the book's progress and that her offer still stood. By the time Cynthia's flight was due, she and Noel were lovers; he agreed to move in with her and left Barbados that same day. 

"We're extremely happy."

Cynthia, 2000

“She’s awesome, I love her, and she’s supportive of my music. But that’s about where it ends.” 

Chloe Charles, Noel's daughter, 2013

After settling in Mallorca, Spain in a village called Bendinat, Noel propose to Cynthia. In May of 2002, Noel and Cynthia traveled to Toronto, Canada to visit his daughter Chloe and to settle Noel's divorce from Victoria. Once the divorce became official, Noel and Cynthia decided to get married in secret at City Hall on June 7, 2002, while the world was paying more attention to Paul McCartney's pending marriage to Heather Mills (on the 11th). Cynthia had previously swore off marriage after her third divorce in 1983, yet Noel managed to sweep Cynthia off her feet to walk down the aisle for the fourth time. Noel's friend Mel helped arrange the wedding, her boyfriend Nick gave Cynthia away, with Chloe and a friend of hers. Afterwards, they celebrated their wedding at Mel's apartment with champagne and McDonald's breakfast takeout. Julian was unable to attend but called in with his congratulations. 

"Julian moved here and said, 'you’ve got to come and live here', so we came! Simple as that. Julian was thinking about having a property for all of us to live in, together. We went all over the place, mainly the South West. This was the last house we looked at, we all just fell in love with it. But then Julian found another house and we ended up with this!" 

Cynthia, 2007

Life in Mallorca and with Noel was most likely the happiest Cynthia had ever been. Noel protected her, gave her the privacy she craved, had money to live on and to travel, and did not falter in the shadow of John Lennon. Noel had his fair share of mingling with celebrities and royalty. Noel and Cynthia went everywhere together, including Beatle events. I would say that Noel was Cynthia's love of her life, not John, though John was her first love (I know people would disagree with me, but after seeing photos, videos, and personal testimony, I stand by my belief). Noel and Cynthia were inseparable and socialized with friends frequently.

"I’m not really an ex-pat sort of person, I relish the fact that we have Spanish friends, we have German friends and a cross section of people whom we’ve met over the past five years."

Cynthia, 2007

Once a week, Noel and Cynthia would dine at La Cuchara.

"It’s really wonderful. The King Of Spain goes there. Peter, the owner is an old friend of Noel’s, probably his oldest friend, they went to college together and they’ve ended up on the same island."

Cynthia, 2007

Noel and Cynthia also loved to shop and would visit other cities in Spain. 

"One thing that is wonderful about Palma, is the shops, the fashions, the shoes, the leather…. and the prices! My husband and Julian are the real shoppers, they make sure that I’m well dressed!"

Cynthia, 2007

"I love Soller, if I didn’t live here I would live in Soller, I just love it. You have the mountains and you have the sea and you have the real character of Mallorca. And they have the most amazing events going on in Soller. But yes, if we weren’t here, that would be my move."

Cynthia, 2007

"Mallorca has something very very special… I’ve always said wherever I’ve lived, 'this is IT, this is it I love it', but….this is why you can never say never, or never say this is it forever…you never know what’s around the corner. I am very grateful that Mallorca was round the corner for me five years ago."

Cynthia, 2007

Noel and Cynthia in St. Martin's in January of 2011

Photographed by Chloe Charles

I think Mallorca may have been the longest place Cynthia had lived in, followed by Isle of Man. Unfortunately, fairy tales eventually came to an end. By 2010, Noel was diagnosed with prostate cancer; he died on March 10, 2013. He was buried on March 15th. Noel was Cynthia's longest husband by 10 years, 9 months, and 7 days; when he died, Cynthia became a widow ... probably something she never thought she'd be after her three divorces.

"It is with the heaviest of hearts that I bring this news to you today that my mother Cynthia’s husband, stepfather to me and friend for over 30 years, Mr. Noel Charles, passed away from cancer, on Mother’s Day, while sleeping … He was the greatest of men on so many levels, and brought much love and laughter to those all around and within his company. We raise a glass to the joy and happiness you brought us all. May you start building that nightclub in the sky A.S.A.P. as there’ve been a lot of mutual friends waiting for you. You will be remembered every day, and someday we shall all meet again.” 

Julian, 2013

“In the end, the love of her life was a man named Noel Charles. He brought her out of her shell and was her protector. When he passed away a couple of years ago, I saw the light go out in her eyes.”

May Pang, 2015

“It never goes, darling, that’s all I can say. Today I’m content. But content doesn’t last forever – it can last for just half an hour, an hour . . . two hours. At this particular point, I am content.”

Cynthia, 2014

Cynthia continued to live for 752 days after Noel died. I believed she continued to travel but literally shunned away from the public eye. Cynthia only made one public appearance for her son's White Feather Foundation gala, and only did one interview a few months before her death to reestablished herself as an artist. Since 2007, Cynthia and Noel took in a couple from Ukraine, Andreas and Natalie, to help with domestic duties and lived on their property. The following year, they had a son named Julian. Cynthia even drew the family in the last year of her life.

“They live with their little boy at the bottom of the garden. When Noel was really ill, Natalie and her husband Andreas were like angels. If God doesn’t come, he sends. When I lost Noel, my brain was all over the place. That’s why I did the picture. It was therapeutic. It made me feel calm. It made me feel positive.”

Cynthia, 2014

 

The Two Mrs. Lennons

"Yoko leads her life which is extraordinary and I have mine how I like it .... ordinary."

Cynthia, 1995

Yoko and Cynthia at Julian's Timeless photography exhibition opening at the Morrison Hotel Gallery on September 16, 2010 in New York City

Let me start by reminding my blog readers, new and old, that I have absolutely no intention of making this blog "anti Yoko". While it may seem like it is, and, granted, I have had my own share of misgivings about Yoko; but as I'm getting older, it's hardly worth the trouble. I don't hate Yoko, but I do wish she and John would've handled things differently, especially when it came to Cynthia and Julian's place in John's life, as well as Yoko's, to be like a blended family. Also, this particular entry post is about the relationship between Cynthia and Yoko; I already posted Yoko's relationship with Julian, and there will be more in the future of certain events and topics. 

Aside from their relationship with John and being a mother to his son, Yoko and Cynthia were as different as could be, yet very similar as well. Yoko was from Tokyo, Japan; her family were very wealthy, were neighbors with Emperor of Japan. Cynthia came from a working middle class family in Blackpool, near Liverpool. Although both were artists, their artwork couldn't be more different. Another common thing is that they had two siblings, yet Yoko was the eldest of a brother and sister while Cynthia was the youngest of two brothers. Both were born in the 1930s and lived through World War II, but there's a 6 years age difference. 

I think the best way to describe the relationship between Cynthia and Yoko is like mixing oil and water together - it's hard to blend together, always separating. I do believe there had been attempts... but it's nothing like the other relationships of other wives and ex wives: Pattie and Olivia are friends, there's an open communication between them. Similar thing with Maureen and Barbara. I think Heather and Nancy have no relationship whatsoever, however Heather did voiced her approval on Nancy being with Paul and being part of their child's life, so I would conclude they are polite to one another but aren't friends. I can't count Linda in as she died as Paul's wife; she never met Heather and although Linda met Nancy, she wouldn't have predicted that Nancy would later marry Paul. 

Here's a grand total of the known encounters Cynthia and Yoko have had:

1) August 24, 1967 at the Hilton Hotel where Maharishi Mahesh Yogi gave his lecture; Cynthia saw Yoko from a distance. As John and Cynthia were leaving, Yoko jumped in asking a ride home. They were stunned yet obliged, saying nothing during the ride. Before and after this first official encounter, Yoko visited various times at Kenwood, leaving behind jewelry and sending art gifts, including Kotex pad that puzzled Lillian and Cynthia. Cynthia and Yoko rarely encountered during this time. 

2) May 22, 1968 at Kenwood when Cynthia arrived home from Greece with Alex Madras and Jenny Boyd where she found John and Yoko in the kitchen wearing bathrobes.

3) another encounter during the Summer of 1968 when John and Yoko arrived at Kenwood to talk about the terms of divorce with Cynthia... the conversation pretty much went nowhere.

4) another encounter, this time with lawyers, at Kenwood with Pete Shotton welcoming Cynthia. John later told him whenever he tried talking to Cynthia, her lawyer refused the communication.

5) final divorce discussion encounter at Paul's house in London that went pretty much no where and Yoko apologizing not able to make tea.

6) at a London courthouse to sign the divorce documents for finalization before November 8th; that day Cynthia went to the courthouse to end her marriage while John was at the hospital with Yoko who was suffering a miscarriage. 

7) August of 1970 at Cynthia's home during her wedding celebration with Roberto Bassanini. 

8) sometime in late Summer of 1971, Yoko called Cynthia for them to deal with Julian's visits with John but Cynthia refused.

9) after John's death in December of 1980, Cynthia and Yoko spoke about Julian's travel arrangements. Cynthia wanted to come along for Julian, but Yoko refused. 

10) September of 1981 Yoko sent Cynthia a telegram wishing her luck on her Pen & Ink Drawings exhibition at Tower Gallery in Long Island, New York.

11) October 7, 1988 for the Imagine: John Lennon documentary premiere at the National Theatre in New York; after party at the Russian Tea Room.

12) October 25, 1988 for the Imagine: John Lennon documentary premiere at Canon Cinema in London. 

13) August 3, 1989, Cynthia went to The Dakota where Yoko lives to discuss the John Lennon tribute concert Sid Bernstein was organizing (more about this subject another post). That same night was Julian's concert at the Beacon Theater and an after party at Hard Rock Cafe. 

14) December 12, 1991 at Aunt Mimi's funeral. Cynthia attempted to talk to Yoko about the house John intended to give to his sisters while Yoko asks Cynthia for mother advice on a teenage boy. Afterwards, Cynthia wrote to Yoko regarding the home for Julia and Jackie.

15) June 30, 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada for The Beatles Cirque du Soleil LOVE show premiere.

16 and final encounter) September 16, 2010 at Julian's Timeless photography exhibition at Morrison Hotel Gallery in New York City.

Here's a collection of quotes mostly by Cynthia: 

"I met Yoko after I came home on a holiday. But I had seen her before. I met her physically, you could say. She'd been staying the night with John, and I came home and they were there, which was sort of curtains for our marriage as far as all of us were concerned, really. ... I knew there was not a thing I could do about it. Any more than I could do about John taking drugs at the time. There was no way I could have stopped him."

Cynthia, 1985

"We're completely different characters and natures and cultures. I don't actually think he judged our kind of art, he just got involved emotionally and every other way with Yoko. So, I don't think he judged me against Yoko. I mean, I'm an illustrator really and a cartoonist. Then I write. So, it was a completely different kind of scenario. But, he got carried away completely with Yoko and her Imagine Art or Conceptual Art and that's what he followed. I think it was probably nearer to his conceptual writing, if you understand what I'm saying. I think he met his match with Yoko, I mean artistically."

Cynthia 

"Yoko had 10 years and I had 10 years and I would rather have had the 10 years I had than the ones she did. I had the raw talent and the raw human being, before the sycophants arrived."

Cynthia, 2000

“Yes, I have [tried to get along with Yoko]. And there’s a certain point when you stop hitting your head against a brick wall. The reason I did it was that there are two boys there, Sean and Julian. They’re half-brothers, they have the same father – they should be best buddies, they could really be helping each other, working with each other and enjoying each other’s company, but that wasn’t to be."

Cynthia, 2007

"I think no matter what two people have gone through - divorce, arguments, whatever - that its a tragedy not to be able to talk over things in later life on a nice even keel. It's tragic for Julian - and for me not to be able to talk to John about Julian. He occasionally speaks to his half brother Sean, but its not very often. I communicate with Yoko. But contrary to what the media would prefer to believe, we don't fight. We saw each other last at Auntie Mimi's funeral and it was all perfectly civil". 

Cynthia, 1995

"John kept Yoko up to date on all the arrangements. After one call, he hung up and said, 'You know Cynthia's still in love with me. She'll do anything to get me back.' 'John, you and Yoko haven't seen Cynthia in four years. Are you mind readers? How do you know what's going on in her head? And even if it's true, what can she do to get you back if you don't want to go? What are you worried about?' John shrugged and tried to laugh it off, but it was quite clear to me that he was still under Yoko's spell, and she had chosen, for some mysterious reason of her own, to get him agitated and upset about Cynthia. Even I, in my vulnerable position, recognized before I met her that Cynthia meant John no harm.

Nevertheless Yoko kept working at it. The next day, after one of her phone calls, John repeated what he had said the day before. Again I tried to joke him out of it, but he kept repeating those ridiculous statements, and every time he repeated them he grew more anxious about the visit and more convinced that he did not want to see Cynthia. I think at that point more than any other I began to fear the power of Yoko's influence over John: To turn John against Cynthia was to make sure that John would never see Julian."

May Pang, Loving John, 1983

"The world is certainly bigger than two women who loved the same man."

Cynthia, 1990

"Realistically it's about what you'd expect. We have spoken over the years. We have stood together and watched our two boys on stage. We are both part of John's family."

Cynthia, 1990

For the most part, Yoko has kept mostly mum on the subject of Cynthia. I couldn't find too much of anything with the exception of other subjects I've covered in the past and continue in the future. My opinion on their relationship was ... complicated. It was clear from the start - before John fell in love with Yoko - that these two would never be friends. I don't think there was hatred between the two women, I do think the negativity part got dramatic and exaggerated by the press and fans. I do believe Yoko downplayed John's love story with Cynthia to nothing but an obligation, as did many others. I also believe there was a part of Yoko's mind that was threatened by Cynthia, perhaps knowing if John and Cynthia spoke friendly terms something could've re-sparked their romance? Why else insisting that Yoko talked to Cynthia about Julian's welfare instead of John? If Yoko was confident that John loved only her, why go through the painstakingly trouble of driving a wedge between him and his ex wife and son? Did she really want John all to herself? Okay, I don't want to dwell on this, so I'll conclude this post with this:

After Cynthia died in 2015, Yoko released two statements (already posted! Check the labels over there ➡ on the blog, like 2015 or Yoko) and, to me, they sounded very genuine and heartfelt. I do believe Yoko looked up to Cynthia while raising a teenage boy during the 1980s, early 1990s, as a single mother. Maybe Yoko did admire Cynthia more than we know, or even SHE realized? 

Love in Marbella

Cynthia with her boyfriend, Noel Charles, on June 6, 2001 in Marbella, Spain. They would get married the following year, almost exactly a year later (June 7, 2002).