Paloma Faith has admitted that having children with ex-husband Leyman Lahcine was what led to the breakdown of their marriage.
The 42-year-old singer married the 36-year-old French artist in 2017 and they welcomed two daughters together, before separating in 2022 after nine years together.
Regarding their separation, she admitted that becoming parents changed their relationship irreversibly, as she was unable to give Leyman the same level of attention as before.
Paloma welcomed their first daughter in December 2016, followed by their second in February 2021.
Addressing the Independentshe says: ‘Either you grow together, adapting to each other like stretchy foam and filling in the gaps where it is empty – or one person grows and the other stays the same.
Paloma Faith admitted having children with ex-husband Leyman Lahcine was what led to the breakdown of their marriage (pictured last month)
The 42-year-old singer married the 36-year-old French artist in 2017 and they welcomed two daughters together, before splitting in 2022 after nine years (pictured together in 2015).
Addressing their split, she confessed that becoming parents changed their relationship irreversibly, as she was unable to give Leyman the same level of attention as before (pictured together in 2018).
“And I think for me, becoming a mother was such a life-changing experience that for the first time in my life I needed more than nothing – and the stretchy foam just wasn’t there. “
In all honesty, she added: “Our relationship ended because we had these children. And I think it was worth it.
Last month, Paloma was even more candid about the split from Leyman, explaining that “resentment built” when she could no longer “put him first.”
Talk to The temperatureThe Only Love Can Hurt Like This hitmaker added that she now has a good relationship with the father of her children as there were no “expectations” for either of them.
Paloma explained: “I have a very good relationship with the children’s father, so sometimes we’re like, ‘What do we do? Why aren’t we together?”
“But the key to the success of our relationship now lies in the absence of expectations. Expectation leads to disappointment.
She added that most of the problems were because she could no longer give Leyman the attention he had received when they were childless, saying: “Men like to be put first and resentment is building. “
Paloma added: “It’s nice to have a hug, but what people want from a relationship, I’m not in a position to give them at this stage. Men are having a hard time coming into second place!
Last month, Paloma was even more candid about the split from Leyman, explaining that “resentment built” when she could no longer “give him first” (photo from October).
She added that most of the problems were because she could no longer give Leyman the attention he had received when they were childless, saying: “Men like to be given priority and priority. resentment grows” (photographed together in 2016).
She recently released her sixth album, The Glorification of Sadness, which chronicles the stages of grief she went through after separation.
Appearing on BBC Breakfast last month, Paloma insisted the record was not a “revenge album” but revealed Leyman would not listen to it.
She explained: “I feel like if you listen to the album, it’s very focused on my inner experience. It’s not a finger-pointing album, it’s not a revenge album.
“It’s all about my internal experience and in a way I think it’s quite positive because they listened to it and they have a little more empathy.”
She insisted: “I’m not an angry person. I realized in a very hyper conscious way that it takes two people to start a relationship just like it takes two people to end one.
“And it’s more about me accepting responsibility on my part rather than saying you did this or that. It’s not a public blame game.
However, she revealed that Leyman had not listened to the record and was not interested in hearing it in its entirety, with Paloma only playing him one song.
She said: “My partner and I actually have a really good relationship. Obviously he’s creative, so he’s pretty empathetic about the whole thing, but he hasn’t actually listened to the record. He doesn’t really want to, he says: “Play me the songs you want me to hear.”
She recently released her sixth album, The Glorification of Sadness, which chronicles the stages of grief she went through after separation (photo from January).
Appearing on BBC Breakfast last month, Paloma insisted the record was not a “revenge album” but revealed Leyman would not listen to it.
“I played Divorce for him, because for me, that’s the only one that’s really about him. Everyone else is about my own experience and I was like this one you should hear.
It comes after Paloma previously admitted she had a “nervous breakdown” after the split and said it was “the worst thing that ever happened to me”.
Appearing on the Jonathan Ross Show, she discussed her current relationship with Leyman, saying: “We are really good. We’re doing really well and I think that’s as good as it can be.
“I don’t pretend to be like Gwyneth Paltrow, I don’t consciously dissociate myself. ISometimes it’s horrible but we navigate it and I think we’re doing a lot better than some married couples.
“My observation is that the reason our relationship is so good now is because I don’t expect anything from him and vice versa.”
Regarding Leyman’s feelings about her discussing their split so openly, Paloma said, “He knows what he signed up for.”
She added: “He was a little disappointed when he saw the end of my How You Leave A Man video. He asked, “Why am I in the trunk?” It’s a metaphor baby!
“He was a little offended. But he knows now that we are together forever – that means what is absolutely eternal is that our love came together and made these children, it is infinite.
“We are in a different situation. I dedicated the album to him, as well as to my children, to say that it is an infinite love.
It comes after Paloma admitted she had a “nervous breakdown” after the split, and that it was “the worst thing that ever happened to me” on the Jonathan Ross Show (pictured).