U2 frontman Bono, also known as Paul David Hewson off the stage, has revealed for the first time in public that he has a half-brother whom he loves and adores and that he was able to make peace with his father.
In a radio interview on "Desert Island Discs," Bono revealed that he challenged his father when he found out about his half-brother. The singer was a teenager at that time who had just lost his mother, Iris, due to a cerebral aneurysm.
News of the secret sibling came crashing down on him, resulting in his difficult relationship with his dad, Brendan "Bob" Hewson. The U2 singer said that nobody had a clue about the secret brother, whose mom was also close to their family, per The Guardian. The superstar, however, did not elaborate further on his half-brother as he is a private person.
Bono added that he questioned his father if he ever loved his mom. Their strained relationship pushed Bono away from him, and he admitted in this interview that he had some regrets about how this turned out.
In 2001, Bono's father lost his battle with cancer at 75 years old. U2, a successful rock band by then, was touring Europe at that time, but Bono had to keep flying back to Dublin, his hometown, to oversee his ailing father's condition.
Later on, however, Bono said that he wrote a letter to his father and read it in private at a chapel in France. He recounted that moment as a freeing experience.
Bono's Family Life
Bono became a dad with four kids with childhood sweetheart Ali Stewart Hewson, whom he met when he was just 12 years old.
Jordan, 22, is his oldest daughter, and she's an activist, just like her father and mother. She works in the tech company Speakable.
Eve, 31, the second child, is the most recognizable offspring of the U2 frontman because she works as an actress. She has been in films like "Bridge of Spies" with Tom Hanks and "Robin Hood" with Taron Egerton. Eve also has a Netflix TV show, "Behind her Eyes."
Elijah, 23, is a musician following in his father's track. He has his own band, Inhaler. However, in a GQ interview, he said that his parents were against his plans to become a singer because they wanted him to earn a college degree.
John, 21, was born around the time Bono's father died. As the youngest, there isn't much to know about John yet, but The Irish Mirror reported he could soon break out and find his path to stardom just like his siblings.
Bono Adores His Kids
Meanwhile, Eve has described her father as a crazy stage parent who likes to talk to other people about his kids' achievements. Though the actress said she loves the support, Bono tends to overdo it by sending links to her IMDb page to his friends.
But Eve is grateful because her dad is Bono, which means she had her foot at the door of Hollywood infamy. She admitted that she would be more challenged landing auditions if she were not her father's child. As it is, she is already competing with other talents, but because of her father, Eve told The Irish Mirror that she has the "performance gene."
Though the Hewson kids are busy, they make it a point to return home to Dublin regularly. Eve spent 18 months of pandemic lockdown in her family home, per the Irish Independent.
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