In 2016, the world watched as legendary Welsh singer Tom Jones faced one of the greatest losses of his life—the death of his beloved wife, Lady Melinda “Linda” Trenchard, after a short but devastating battle with lung cancer. The couple had been together since they were just 15 years old, weathering fame, fortune, scandals, and distance. And yet, when Linda passed away in Los Angeles, something unexpected was quietly whispered among close friends and insiders—a final letter Tom wrote to her contained a truth he never said aloud while she was alive.
According to longtime family friends and aides, Tom Jones penned a deeply emotional handwritten letter just days before Linda’s passing. The letter, written in solitude while he sat alone in the hospital’s private family room, was meant to be a final farewell—an outpouring of love, regret, and honesty. It was placed in Linda’s coffin before burial.
But there was a catch.
One close confidante revealed that the letter contained a personal confession that Tom insisted never be made public. While no one has disclosed the full content, speculation has swirled for years. Some believe the letter addressed his long-standing affair with model Katherine Berkery, which resulted in a son he refused to acknowledge. Others say it confessed his regret for not stepping away from music earlier to spend more time with Linda.
“It broke him,” one close friend said. “Not just losing her—but knowing he didn’t always put her first.”
Tom has only spoken briefly about the letter in interviews, saying:
“I had to say things I hadn’t said before. That’s all I’ll ever say about it.”
Since Linda’s passing, Tom Jones has never remarried. He keeps a photo of her on his dressing room mirror, and to this day, he begins every concert with a moment of silence in her memory.
What was in that letter? We may never know. But its existence reveals a side of Tom Jones few fans ever see—a man haunted not by fame, but by love, loss, and things left unsaid.