Tears for Fears’ Roland Orzabal details in new memoir his love affair before wife Caroline’s death

Roland Orzabal, best known as a singer and songwriter for Tears for Fears, said he “chose life” during the final years of his marriage and later reflected on a relationship that began before the death of his first wife, Caroline, according to an Aug. 10 report by Page Six.

Page Six reported that Orzabal, whose career includes the widely known Tears for Fears song “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” is discussing those events in connection with a new memoir titled Welcome to… The article frames the account as part of his effort to revisit personal decisions made while coping with serious family strain.

The report says Orzabal described Caroline’s illness as being connected to an alcohol-related condition, and it says her death followed a long battle. The outlet reports that Orzabal’s disclosures include acknowledgment that he “fell in love” with another woman before Caroline died.

In the account described by Page Six, the singer’s remarks about “choos[ing] life” appear connected to his attempt to move forward emotionally and personally after losing his wife. The report indicates Orzabal portrays this period as painful and complicated, rather than as a simple timeline.

The Page Six article treats the memoir as the main venue for the revelations, but it does not provide additional corroborating documentation or direct excerpts from the book. It also does not specify publication timing beyond noting the memoir’s existence and framing the revelations as emerging through Orzabal’s discussion.

Because the account centers on private, emotionally sensitive events, the report presents Orzabal’s perspective on what happened and why, without offering external verification from the other individuals involved. Details about the other woman’s identity and the precise sequence of relationships are not included in the report.

Orzabal’s comments add to the broader visibility of memoir-driven culture coverage, where artists often use book releases to explain how they handled family crises and major personal turning points. In this case, the disclosures focus on marriage, illness, grief, and the possibility of new attachments emerging before a prior relationship had ended.

The reporting also indicates a next step for audiences expecting fuller context from the memoir itself. With the statements tied to Welcome to…, the details may depend on what Orzabal ultimately publishes in the text, including any additional background on Caroline’s illness and the circumstances surrounding the later relationship described in the report.