U2 star Bono's shock as he reveals late father had secret son

U2 frontman Bono has shared surprising news about his family life after discovering he has a secret half-brother.

The rock singer already has an older brother called Norman but has now revealed he has another sibling on his father’s side, who was kept a secret from him growing up.

Bono, whose real name is Paul Hewson, explained that he picked up on something being off with late dad Bob, who died in 2001, when he was growing up.

‘I do have another brother whom I love and adore that I didn’t know I had, or maybe I did,’ Bono explained.

‘My father was obviously going through a lot but partly his head was elsewhere because his heart was elsewhere. So I think that was part of the problem I was picking up as a kid.’

He added on Desert Island Discs: ‘It’s a very close family and I could tell that my father had a deep friendship with this gorgeous woman who is part of the family and then they had a child and this was all kept a secret.’

‘I asked him did he love my mother and he said, “Yes” and I said, “How could this happen?” He said “It can”, and that he was trying to put it right, trying to do the right thing. He wasn’t apologising, just stating these are the facts.’

His mother, Bono adds, was unaware of the infidelity. 

Nevertheless, Bono spoke warmly of his father throughout the interview, even though he admitted their relationship was complex.

He says he carried a lot of guilt after his father’s death but finally felt ‘free’ once he took steps to confront and dispel his guilt – when he knelt in prayer in a French chapel and asked his dad for forgiveness.

‘I got on my knees, and I just said “Look I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. You went through a lot, please forgive me”, and I felt free.’

The 62-year-old said he believes he could have been more supportive of his father after the death of his mother, Iris, who died from a brain aneurysm suffered at her own father’s funeral in 1974, when the singer was just 14.

In May, the Irish musician, alongside bandmate The Edge, were personally invited by President Volodymyr Zelensky, and performed in Khreshatyk metro station in Ukraine in support of the country during the war against Russia. 

‘The people in Ukraine are not just fighting for your own freedom, you are fighting for all of us who love freedom,’ he said.

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