New Delhi, Sept. 20 -- At a time when her former husband has been languishing in a Pakistani jail for the past three years, Jemima Goldsmith has walked down the aisle again at the age of 52. More than two decades after divorcing Imran Khan, Jemima has married Irish Australian financier Cameron O'Reilly, 62, in a private ceremony. The marriage marks a new chapter in a life that has travelled a remarkable distance from the one she began as Imran's 21-year-old bride.
When Jemima married Imran in 1995, she was barely out of her teens and he was 42, a celebrated former Pakistan cricket captain with a reputation as an international playboy. She converted to Islam before the marriage, moved to Lahore, learned Urdu, started wearing traditional Pakistani shalwar kameez and appeared in public with her head covered.
The daughter of billionaire financier Sir James Goldsmith wasn't aware of the potholes that lay before her. The age difference, cultural divide and her husband's plunge into the landmine of Pakistani politics meant that, instead of her husband, her every action would come under intense public scrutiny, especially her Jewish ancestry. Pakistani newspapers and TV channels saw a Zionist plot to weaken the country.
Given this atmosphere, it was inevitable that the marriage wouldn't last long. In June 2004, after nine years, they decided to part ways. The reason was very civil and restrained. Imran admitted that Jemima had tried her best to settle in Pakistan but that his political life had made it difficult for her to adapt. The decision was described as mutual. Jemima returned to Britain with their two sons, Sulaiman and Kasim.
Agnetha Faltskog of ABBA fame said after her divorce from Bjorn Ulvaeus, publicly, it was portrayed as a 'happy divorce'. Many years later, in a documentary, she revealed that there was no such thing as a 'happy divorce'. There is so much acrimony, pain and heartbreak behind every divorce, she added. Singing songs like 'The Winner Takes It All' and 'The Day Before You Came' took a heavy toll on her and left her exhausted.
Jemima's divorce must be one of the most remarkably civil celebrity separations of recent times. When celebrities part ways, dirty linen is washed in public, as we have seen in the Depp-Heard divorce saga.
Unlike many celebrities who claim they remain 'good friends' after divorce, the Imran-Jemima relationship continued despite Imran's two subsequent marriages and Jemima's romantic linkups with Hugh Grant, Russell Brand and Peter Morgan.
Indeed, Imran continued to stay at the Goldsmith family home when he visited Britain. On her part, Jemima has supported Imran on social media. She has repeatedly spoken about Imran's imprisonment and treatment in Pakistan. She has campaigned for his access to his sons and publicly raised concerns about his circumstances.
Some conservative religious leaders even questioned why a divorced Imran continued to stay at Jemima's family home, insinuating about the nature of their relationship.
Jemima's concern for Imran and his family has gone far beyond social media. Before her death in 2004, Sita White, the mother of Imran's daughter Tyrian, named Jemima as one of Tyrian's guardians in her will. Tyrian was initially cared for by her aunt; it's reported that after Tyrian's aunt died, she moved into Jemima's London home. This is the remarkable story of two people's love and respect for one another despite so many differences.
They may have failed as husband and wife, but it didn't diminish their relationship, which has survived the gulf between London and Lahore. Both have continued their journey in different directions, yet even 22 years of separation haven't been able to separate them from one another in their hearts. They remain inseparable.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.