Daniel Johns and Natalie Imbruglia have finally lifted the lid on their divorce.
The former couple, who split in 2008 after five years of marriage, reunited for the first time since their split to discuss their break-up in the latest episode of the Who is Daniel Johns? podcast this week.
Imbruglia, 46, told interviewer Kaitlin Sawrey her relationship with the Silverchair frontman, 42, was ‘difficult’ and insisted she tried hard to make things work.
‘Sometimes there isn’t a way through it and that’s where we found ourselves’: Daniel Johns, 42, and ex-wife Natalie Imbruglia, 46, lifted the lid on their 2008 divorce in the latest episode of the Who is Daniel Johns? podcast this week. Pictured during their five-year marriage
‘It was really, really hard; it’s a difficult time to talk about and, to be honest, I just remember trying… just trying to get things back on track,’ the Torn singer said.
‘And sometimes there isn’t a way through it and that’s where we found ourselves, I’m afraid.’
Despite the bitter nature of their divorce, Imbruglia now considers her ill-fated marriage to Johns a gift.
‘He was the love of my life and I think in time you realise that’s a really special thing and you look back on it fondly, and it doesn’t come around that often that you can both feel that way about each other,’ she said.
Friendly exes: Despite the bitter nature of their divorce, Imbruglia now considers her ill-fated marriage to Johns a gift. Pictured together in London on June 27, 2003
‘It’s not something that is necessarily repeatable in that way. It’s a beautiful thing.’
Johns also had positive things to say about his ex-wife, insisting their relationship simply didn’t work out because they had different goals in life.
‘She wanted to settle down and have babies and she wanted to do normal stuff and I just wanted to get weirder, so we just kind of disappeared from each other,’ he explained.
‘She taught me how to be a man’: Johns also had positive things to say about his ex, insisting their relationship didn’t work out because they had different goals in life. Pictured in 2006
‘She taught me how to be a man, you know? I met her when I was 19, at risk of sounding sentimental.’
Johns recently spoke about his high-profile split with Imbruglia on The Project.
‘We’re friends now. But to be honest, we didn’t talk for about 10 years,’ he said last month.
‘We’re friends’: Johns recently spoke about his high-profile split with Imbruglia on The Project. ‘We’re friends now. But to be honest, we didn’t talk for about 10 years,’ he said last month
Fate? Imbruglia met the rocker at an awards show in 1999 and they married four years later, on New Year’s Eve, in a beachside ceremony in Queensland. Pictured in 1997
Fate? Imbruglia met the rocker at an awards show in 1999 and they married four years later, on New Year’s Eve, in a beachside ceremony in Queensland. Pictured in 2004
Struggles: Imbruglia wrote her 2005 hit Counting Down the Days about their long-distance relationship, and often spoke of how she missed Johns. Pictured in 2005
‘When we were married, I was in my twenties. I was incapable of learning how to be responsible. I didn’t know how to use a phone. I was touring all the time.
‘And then, I don’t know, I took it of my own volition and said, “Why are we not talking?” I didn’t really understand and she was like, “I don’t know why we’re not talking either!”‘
Imbruglia met the rocker at an awards show in 1999 and they married four years later, on New Year’s Eve, in a beachside ceremony in Queensland.
Moved on: After their split, Natalie was linked to British comedian David Walliams, actor David Schwimmer, One Direction star Harry Styles, and even Prince Harry, among others
As time elapsed, they became the subject of split rumours, partly due to the length of time they spent apart.
Imbruglia wrote her 2005 hit Counting Down the Days about their long-distance relationship, and often spoke of how she missed Johns.
Break-up speculation grew after Johns neglected to thank his then-wife while collecting Silverchair’s five gongs at the ARIA Awards in October 2007.
Baby love: The star welcomed her first child, son Max, in October 2019, at the age of 44
A joint statement released through their publicists in January 2008 read: ‘While we are very sad that our marriage has ended, we want to make it clear that our parting is amicable and we remain friends.
‘This mutual decision has not been taken lightly or quickly.’
It added: ‘However, our career demands and our lives in different parts of the world have brought us to the point where unfortunately this difficult decision was necessary for both of us.’
New addition: Max was born via IVF with the help of a sperm donor
After their split, Natalie was linked to British comedian David Walliams, actor David Schwimmer, One Direction star Harry Styles, and even Prince Harry, among others.
The singer, best known for her 1997 hit Torn, welcomed her first child, son Max, via IVF and a sperm donor in October 2019, at the age of 44.
Johns, who rarely discusses his love life, was last romantically linked to model Michelle Leslie. They even sparked engagement rumours in 2019 but later split.
Private: Johns, who rarely discusses his love life, was last romantically linked to model Michelle Leslie (left). They even sparked engagement rumours in 2019 but later split