Vinnie Jones admits his ‘spirit is broken’ after wife Tanya’s death four years ago-Robert Oliver-Entertainment – Metro

Vinnie Jones says his ‘spirit is broken’ but hopes his ‘experience’ will pull him through (Picture: ITV)

Vinnie Jones has confessed that the death of his wife four years ago has ‘broken’ his spirit and described grief as a ‘blanket’ that ‘pulls you down’.

The actor and former footballer, 58, suffered the death of his beloved wife Tanya Jones to skin cancer aged 53 in July 2019, six years after Vinnie himself was also diagnosed with skin cancer.

The couple had been married for 25 years at the time of her death, having tied the knot in 1994, and Vinnie has since said he had no plans to remarry.

Now, four years on, he has opened up about the long-term effect grief has had on him, describing it as like being trapped under water.

‘You’ve got to try and get your head above water, breathe in as long as you can because you know you’re going to be pulled under again,’ Vinne explained.

Speaking to New Zealand entertainment website Stuff, he continued: ‘Grief is a ghost. It’s a blanket. It wraps around you and it pulls you down.’

Vinnie and Tanya married in 1994 having known each other since 1977 (Picture: Getty)

‘You never get past the traumatic reality of it. I still can’t f****** comprehend that I’m going to bed on my own tonight.’

However, Vinnie did say that while his ‘spirit may be broken inside’, he knows he has the knowledge and experience to make it to the other side.

The couple first met each other in 1977 when they were both 12 years old, having lived on the same Watford housing estate through their childhoods.

The couple had been married for 25 years at the time of Tanya’s death (Picture: WireImage)

While together, they had a son, Aaron, and Vinnie adopted Kaley Jay, who was Tanya’s daughter from her previous marriage to footballer Steve Terry.

During his footballing career, Vinnie famously won the FA Cup in 1988, six years before marrying Tanya, as a member of Wimbledon’s so-called ‘Crazy Gang’.

In September 2020, Vinnie shared with the public the final card he ever received from Tanya before her death, referring to the experience as ‘overwhelming’.

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Speaking to Piers Morgan at the time, he said arranging Tanya’s funeral while she was still alive was ‘like being in a horror dream’.

Vinnie also sought out grief therapy following Tanya’s death, explaining: ‘I’m seeing someone three times a week. I thought I was doing okay.’

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