Richard Hammond ‘tried everything to save his marriage for almost 18 months before he eventually accepted that it was over for good with his wife Mindy’

Richard Hammond 'tried everything to save his marriage for almost 18 months before he eventually accepted that it was over for good with his wife Mindy'

For approximately 18 months, Richard Hammond tirelessly attempted every possible means to salvage his marriage with Mindy. However, after a long and arduous struggle, he eventually came to the realization that their relationship had reached an irreversible end.

55-year-old ex-Top Gear host had been making every effort to preserve his 28-year-long marriage up until quite recently, however, they declared their separation last Thursday.

According to a source, he exhaustedly attempted every possible solution. He was holding onto the hope that they might remain under the same roof, albeit separate dwellings, but Mindy insisted on a complete separation, leading to a divorce.

‘He even whisked her away to the South of France to patch things up, but it just didn’t work.’

In August 2023, despite his best efforts to prevent it, Richard found himself relocating to a renovated barn within the grounds of his familial residence, Bollitree Castle in Herefordshire.

At present, Mindy admitted that she feels overwhelmed and has reached her limit. Consequently, Richard currently resides in a temporary dwelling nearby, conveniently located near his venture, The Smallest Cog, his motor business.

Richard Hammond 'tried everything to save his marriage for almost 18 months before he eventually accepted that it was over for good with his wife Mindy'

Richard Hammond 'tried everything to save his marriage for almost 18 months before he eventually accepted that it was over for good with his wife Mindy'

On Thursday, Richard used X (previously called Twitter), to announce their separation following 23 years of marriage.

He wrote: ‘Here’s a quick message from our side. This Christmas, we enjoyed being all together as a family, and this upcoming year, though our structure may change slightly, we’ll remain a family.’

After 28 memorable years as a married couple, our union is approaching its conclusion. We have been blessed with two remarkable daughters throughout this journey.

‘We will always be in each other’s lives and are proud of the family we created.’

TopMob has contacted representatives of Richard Hammond for comment. 

Based on a report from The Sun, it appears that Mindy is working hard to acquire Bollitree Castle, the £7 million property in Weston under Penyard, Herefordshire, which the couple bought back in 2008.

This 18th-century building, recognized as a Grade II landmark, offers six spacious bedrooms, a private swimming pool, and sprawls across twenty lush acres.

In their home, it’s their oldest child, Isabella (age 24), who remains, assisting her father in his work, whereas their youngest daughter, Willow (age 22), resides in Gloucestershire.

Richard Hammond 'tried everything to save his marriage for almost 18 months before he eventually accepted that it was over for good with his wife Mindy'
Richard Hammond 'tried everything to save his marriage for almost 18 months before he eventually accepted that it was over for good with his wife Mindy'
Richard Hammond 'tried everything to save his marriage for almost 18 months before he eventually accepted that it was over for good with his wife Mindy'

After Richard was spotted alone, without his wife, on New Year’s Eve, sipping a pint of Guinness at a pub in Hereford.

During their stop at the Wye Inn, located on Holme Lacy Road, the host of The Grand Tour was more than willing to snap selfies with enthusiastic fans. However, passersby couldn’t help but notice that he appeared to be alone, as his family wasn’t present at the time.

According to a source, Richard dropped by for a relaxed drink with some friends and colleagues from his workshop called Smallest Cog.

His garage located in Rotherwas is famed for its work on classic car restoration. It seems that he’s choosing to stay nearby, residing in a beautiful estate called Weston under Penyard, which is close to Ross-on-Wye.

Earlier, Mindy made it clear that Richard’s actions left him on his final warning, and it seems they eventually parted ways after eight years, as divorce papers are reported to have been filed following the announcement of their separation.

The article states that she requested a divorce following rumors that she wanted him out of her life.

According to a source, Richard is deeply troubled by these events. It appears he has made significant efforts to revive the relationship, but so far, those attempts have been unsuccessful. There’s no indication that a third party is involved in this situation.

Richard Hammond 'tried everything to save his marriage for almost 18 months before he eventually accepted that it was over for good with his wife Mindy'
Richard Hammond 'tried everything to save his marriage for almost 18 months before he eventually accepted that it was over for good with his wife Mindy'
Richard Hammond 'tried everything to save his marriage for almost 18 months before he eventually accepted that it was over for good with his wife Mindy'
Richard Hammond 'tried everything to save his marriage for almost 18 months before he eventually accepted that it was over for good with his wife Mindy'

On Thursday, one of Top Gear’s stars announced their separation from their spouse, following 23 years of marriage. In a statement, they expressed that while they are no longer together as a couple, they will continue to hold significant places in each other’s lives.

In the year 2017, Mindy joined Richard on the show “This Morning” following his participation in a second severe car accident.

Richard had an accident while shooting for The Grand Tour in Switzerland. The vehicle he was operating rolled over several times and ignited shortly afterward, but he successfully exited before the fire started.

In the year 2006, Richard experienced severe head trauma and fell into a coma due to a serious car accident while filming for the BBC’s Top Gear program at high speed.

After his accident on a Swiss hillside 11 years following their previous incident, Mindy traveled to be by her husband’s side. She expressed to ITV’s This Morning that she had warned him, ‘Three chances, and you’re done. You’ve used up two of them.’

In this scenario, Isabella, the daughter, was operating the camera alongside her younger sister, Willow. Willow then advised their father not to have another accident by saying, “Could you please avoid crashing again?

She added: ‘He has one of these every ten years so I’ve marked the next one in my diary’.

Mindy said she had predicted the crash after having a ‘funny’ feeling on the day before the crash.

She said: ‘I actually called Richard on the day before which I don’t usually do, ever.

Richard Hammond 'tried everything to save his marriage for almost 18 months before he eventually accepted that it was over for good with his wife Mindy'

‘Then the day of the accident I call him and he said he was fine but had a couple more runs to do.

Later, there was a phone call, and he told me: ‘I was in a minor accident.’ This news made me feel quite strange, something I’ve never experienced before.

After managing to get out of the blazing wreckage mere seconds before it ignited, the star needed surgical reconstruction for his shattered left knee.

Richard keeps expressing his sincere apologies to his wife and the two girls, acknowledging that he subjected them to unnecessary pain and distress.

He said that he believed he might die when his car flew off the mountain. 

He stated that he was aware it was harmful, further explaining that when the car landed, it struck the lower part of his knee.

While he was in the hospital, he shared, “They informed me I’ve shrunk by 7mm. I can’t accept that.

Previously on “This Morning,” Holly Willoughby posed the question, “Are you lopsided?” To which the respondent replied, “Indeed, yes.” However, he added, “No, no, I can’t keep spinning around like this for the remainder of my days.

Approximately a dozen years following his harrowing accident on Top Gear in 2006, where he suffered a high-speed rollover at 318mph and ended up in a coma for two weeks due to severe head trauma, Richard had another major collision.

Richard Hammond 'tried everything to save his marriage for almost 18 months before he eventually accepted that it was over for good with his wife Mindy'
Richard Hammond 'tried everything to save his marriage for almost 18 months before he eventually accepted that it was over for good with his wife Mindy'

Speaking about the incident that occurred last month while he was driving an Rimac Concept One electric vehicle on a hill, Richard stated earlier: “At the end of the day’s runs, just past the finish line, it suddenly slipped out of control, and I found myself going over the edge.

After that, he sped swiftly for about 100 meters down the slope, skirting past a house and causing small pits on the cliff side.

He informed DriveTribe: “At that moment, I realized quite clearly that since it was a hillclimb and I was at its end, I’d be standing at the peak of the hill.

‘So what followed was getting down the hill very very quickly.

I realized my elevated position, understanding that the car would soon descend. Of course, a fleeting instant of fear washed over me: ‘Oh dear, am I about to meet my end?’

‘Also I was aware that the car was taking just such a beating.’

He added: ‘What was probably going through my mind was ‘well this is it’. I thought ‘I’ve had it’.’

Richard asserted that he remained alert during the collision, likening it to the sensation of: ‘Noticing the sky, then the ground, then the sky again, then the ground… it felt like being inside a tumbling dryer filled with bricks as it rolled down a slope.’

In the aftermath of the accident, as I grappled with a knee injury, my thoughts were clear: “I recall urging them to pull me by my upper limbs instead of my lower ones. I fear it might be my leg that’s been shattered.

Yet, the injury didn’t startle Isabella, his daughter, who commented, “Dad, it seems like you tripped in the park,” to which he responded.

Previously, Mindy expressed in a newspaper article that during their marriage, they took just two short vacations together.

2017 saw her contribute an article for The Daily Express, where she shared: ‘Over the past 28 years as a couple, we’ve only had two short romantic getaways – the first was a camping trip in Buttermere during our initial year together, which resulted in wet bottoms from the rain and waking up to four inches of water. The second was a swift visit to Rome a few years later where we were both too drained to stay awake for most of our sightseeing due to exhaustion after lunch.’

I took to X recently to share some personal news: ‘A small update from our side; this past holiday season, we celebrated as a family, and though the structure may change somewhat, we remain a united family this year.’

It seems our union is drawing to a close, yet we’ve shared an extraordinary 28 years and welcomed two remarkable daughters into the world during that time.

‘We will always be in each other’s lives and are proud of the family we created.

As your trusted lifestyle advisors, Richard and I appreciate your understanding as we choose to keep a low profile regarding personal matters. We kindly ask for respect towards our family’s privacy during this period. Sending love and warmest regards, Richard and Mindy.

In 2017, I was involved in a devastating accident that sent shockwaves through our team – an incident that had my fellow cast members, Jeremy Clarkson and James May, bracing for the worst, believing I might not survive. Ironically, this crash occurred eleven years after another near-fatal high-speed collision while filming Top Gear in 2006, when I sustained critical head injuries.

The presenter was in a coma for two weeks following the 288mph accident, but made a full recovery.

Richard also recently raised fears that his injuries might have caused onset dementia.

During an appearance on The Diary of a CEO podcast, he openly admitted his concerns about his memory, stating that while he can effectively read a script and present it, his long-term memory isn’t exceptional.

Occasionally, I find myself jotting things down to help me remember, as I’m concerned it could be due to aging or other health issues. Perhaps it would be wise for me to investigate further, just to be sure.

Host Steven Bartlett asked him: ‘Are you scared of finding out?’

He stated: “The injury occurred at the front, and this might imply an elevated risk. I must investigate further. I’ve been holding back due to fear, but I must gather the courage to proceed.

On my commute today, an unexpected detour occurred as I needed to undergo a medical examination for an upcoming project. When they asked if I had been in any accidents, I couldn’t help but chuckle and ask for another form – it seems the universe has a funny way of timing things!

I should schedule a comprehensive health check-up, often referred to as a mid-life MOT. Initially, I thought about requesting them to examine my brain health, but I ended up not doing so.

Translation: It appears that I might require an MRI scan, as for someone my age (53), memory can sometimes become a bit hazy – a condition often referred to as “lost keys syndrome.

I tend to be rather absent-minded, often preoccupied with other thoughts. Consequently, I might overlook things or forget them easily. This is simply my nature; it’s part of who I am.

Richard Hammond 'tried everything to save his marriage for almost 18 months before he eventually accepted that it was over for good with his wife Mindy'
Richard Hammond 'tried everything to save his marriage for almost 18 months before he eventually accepted that it was over for good with his wife Mindy'

Following that harrowing incident when my beloved Vampire jet car spun out of control and flipped over due to a burst tire, I confessed to grappling with the heavy burden of depression.

He mentioned that he couldn’t remember due to a frontal lobe hemorrhage. It seems he was flipping over while driving and unintentionally used his head as a braking mechanism, which can be harmful.

He mentioned that Mindy, his wife, received information from doctors suggesting that an injury to the frontal brain lobe might increase my likelihood of developing tendencies towards obsessive-compulsive behavior, depression, and paranoia.

Mindy asked, “Haven’t you met him before the accident?” It’s actually quite amusing, if I may say so myself. To tell you the truth, I endured quite a bit, and I can confirm that I experienced many things to some extent.

‘Some of them were really weird moments and I still get an echo of it.

I spent a significant period confined in hospitals for recovery, lasting quite some time. Eventually, I’d find myself visiting London for some purpose.

As a lifestyle enthusiast, let me confess, standing before my overflowing wardrobe, overwhelmed by the sea of shirts, I struggled immensely to make a decision. The array of options left me paralyzed for quite some time. Choosing one seemed like an insurmountable task.

He added: ‘If your emotions seem off-kilter due to an imbalance of certain brain chemicals, remember it’s essentially just a matter of chemistry and electrical signals.’

As I strolled along my home’s driveway, an unexpected wave of affection suddenly swelled up inside me, filling my heart, and I found myself wondering, “What’s happening?

Over time, I found myself pausing before an old, familiar sight – my beloved Land Rover. While I’ve always had a soft spot for it, I must admit that my affection is more akin to a casual liking. But as I chanced upon it, a sudden wave of realization hit me, and I exclaimed, ‘Good heavens!’ It was a moment that made me pause and reflect on the past and its impact on my present.

If the complex interplay of chemicals and electricity within my brain has such a significant impact on my emotions, it means I have a greater understanding or awareness of things.

In such instances, when I’m extremely fatigued or after a heavy night of socializing with friends, I tend not to pay much heed to my feelings.

If I have red wine, I won’t be watching TV or pondering over thoughts, as they don’t matter for that day. That’s just how it is.

For a brief period, I found myself feeling quite upset. It’s crucial to acknowledge that anger can be an obstacle in the healing process after a brain injury. I had this desire for a T-shirt with a message on the front, something like, ‘I’m Fine, Stop Asking,’ and on the back, ‘I’m Still Struggling, You Understand.’

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2025-01-11 02:34

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