*As the release of the biopic “Bob Marley: One Love” draws near, Bob Marley’s former mistress is generating headlines with a post on what would’ve been the late singer’s 79th birthday.
Taking to Instagram, Cindy Breakspeare celebrated Marley on his special day, voicing her love for the reggae icon and their son Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley as well as the memories they shared.
“Bob, on what would have been your 79th Birthday, I celebrate the incredible impact you’ve had globally, cherish our amazing son Damian, and reminisce about the beautiful times we shared–from 56 Hope Road to your mother’s home in Delaware and Miami, New York, Oakley Street in London, The Bahamas, Trinidad, and beyond,” Breakspeare wrote on Feb. 6, under multiple throwback pictures.
“The memories are countless, but our love for you is endless. Happy Birthday to the people’s hero loved and revered by all,” she wrote in a caption from the post.
Breakspeare’s emotional message comes more than four decades after Marley’s death. The “Uprising” entertainer died in 1981, four years after being diagnosed with skin cancer (melanoma) in 1977. Before his passing the cancer reportedly spread to Marley’s lungs and brain. He was 36.
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Breakespeare, a Miss World 1976 winner, was among several women who had an affair with Bob Marley during his marriage to Rita Marley, a member of his backup trio the I Threes. During their time together, Bob Marley and Breakspeare parented one child together, their son, Damian. The “Jamming” singer was married to Rita Marley up until his death and shared three children.
Upon hitting Instagram, Breakspeare’s post triggered a reaction among Marley’s fans, with some in favor of her remembering the “No Woman, No Cry” vocalist. On the flip side, the post was met with a thumbs-down from those taken aback by Breakspeare’s candid expression of her complicated taboo relationship with Marley. That relationship is said to be documented in “Bob Marley: One Love,” according to The Jasmine Brand. The film, which stars Kingsley Ben-Adir as Marley, is set to hit theaters on Feb. 14.
Marley’s infidelity is nothing new for fans and Rita, who addressed the issue in previous interviews.
In a sit-down interview, Rita remembered Marly trying to get her to sing background on his hit song “Turn Your Lights Down Low,” a tune he wrote for Breakspeare. Needless to say, Rita did not approve of Marley’s request.
“In London, I can remember we had this ‘Exodus’ album and he was doing this song that I found that he wrote about Cindy [Breakspeare],” she said, adding, “I’m saying, ‘What? You [wrote] that song for Cindy and want me to sing it? I’m not singing it!’ [laughs] And so I was stubborn.”
Taking the literary root, Rita touched on Marley’s cheating and why she stayed with him in her book, “No Woman, No Cry: My Life with Bob Marley.”
“Just because he did those things and cheated on me doesn’t mean he was a bad husband. He always provided for me, always gave me anything I wanted. But he was corrupted by show business, by the girls that would throw themselves at him. This is what I’ve come to understand.”
Marley’s “unprotected” love triangles eventually took its toll on Rita, who admitted to often refusing to have sex with the singer in their marriage. Still her love for Marley didn’t prevent her from continuing to build what they were establishing together.
“As they say you grunt and bear it, that’s what I had to do because I was so in love with this man and love grew stronger, it’s not that it grew weaker,” Rita explained to an outlet.
Like Breakspeare, Rita remembered her late husband on his birthday, posting a picture along with, “Hold on to This Feeling,” her duet with Marley, to her social media.
“Celebrating Bob’s birthday today with this duet we did in 1970. ‘Hold On To This Feeling’ Happy Birthday @bobmarley XOXO,” Rita posted.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB: How ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ Actor Tapped Into Singer’s Spirit Without Trying to Be Him | EURexclusiveWATCH
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