The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson shared that his wife, Melinda Ledbetter, died on Tuesday. She was 77.
Wilson, 81, shared the news in a statement on Instagram.
“My heart is broken. Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning. Our five children and I are just in tears. We are lost. Melinda was more than my wife. She was my savior.
She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career. She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor. She was everything for us. Please say a prayer for her. Love and Mercy Brian,” he wrote.
In addition to Wilson’s personal message, his children shared a note announcing the death of their mother.
“It is with a heavy heart that we let everyone know that our mom, Melinda Kay Ledbetter Wilson passed away peacefully this morning at home. She was a force of nature and one of the strongest women you could come by. She was not only a model, our fathers savior, and a mother, she was a woman empowered by her spirit with a mission to better everyone she touched,” it read.
“We will miss her but cherish everything she has taught us. How to take care of the person next to you with out expecting anything in return, how to find beauty in the darkest of places, and how to live life as your truest self with honesty and pride. We love you mom. Give Grandma Rose and Pa our love.”
The cause of her death was not disclosed.
Wilson and Ledbetter first met in 1986, married in 1995, and adopted children Dakota Rose, Daria Rose, Delanie Rose, Dylan and Dash.
Wilson and Ledbetter’s love story was told in the biopic Love & Mercy. In 2015, Wilson spoke to 360aproko about the film, and credited his wife for saving his life after his mental illness was mistreated. Ledbetter spoke to ET about the emotional toll the film took on her.
“The first time I saw [Love & Mercy], I totally didn’t know what to think,” his wife told 360aproko. “I said, ‘I have to go!’ because it was so emotional.”
