Rowan Atkinson’s love life in the spotlight after daughter opens up about his divorce

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For decades, Rowan Atkinson has made generations laugh with his unforgettable performances as Mr Bean and Blackadder despite struggling with stammer. But behind the comedic genius is a personal life that’s seen its fair share of headlines. Now, his love life is once again in the spotlight—not because of anything he’s said, but because of his daughter.

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Lily Sastry, has chosen to open up about the emotional toll of her parents’ divorce. From his long marriage to Sunetra Sastry, to his relationship with comedian Louise Ford, Rowan’s romantic timeline has been anything but boring.

Lily Sastry opens up about the impact of her parents’ split

Rowan Atkinson’s daughter, Lily Sastry, has broken her silence on how her parents’ divorce affected her. In a deeply personal online post, she described her twenties as a time of ‘chaos and loneliness.’

She wrote:

I went through so much chaos and loneliness in my twenties. Now I am 30, I can see clearly where I was at and what was happening inside me during the darkest days.

The artist and singer reflected on feeling lost and struggling with identity. She continued:

I was so lost, and only really started to feel vaguely normal in my late twenties. I have always been trapped between worlds; do not belong here, but also don't belong there.

Lily, who is now a professional visual artist, also revealed the process of finding herself amid a 'broken family'. She said:

It’s hard to find out who you are in the midst of no friends, a broken family, and no idea how to navigate making music and trying to understand the world.

Her decision to change her surname from Atkinson to Sastry in 2017 sparked speculation of a rift with her father. At the time, a source told Daily Mail:

It's a real mystery. Atkinson has been Lily’s name all her life, but she's now dropped it and is styling herself as Lily Sastry.

I hope she hasn't fallen out with her dad. The divorce was really hard for everyone in the family.

Despite the name change and public silence, Lily and Rowan were seen together in 2018 at the premiere of his film Johnny English Strikes Again.

Inside Rowan Atkinson's marriage to Sunetra Sastry

Rowan Atkinson met BBC make-up artist Sunetra Sastry in the 1980s while filming Blackadder. The couple married in 1990 and had two children: Ben and Lily.

Like her father, Lily is an artist and has had the support of her dad throughout her endeavours—including music and burlesque performances.

Ben, who is now 31, serves in the Royal Gurkha Regiment. He graduated from Exeter University and trained at Sandhurst, the prestigious military academy also attended by Prince William and Prince Harry. In 2019, he joined the Gurkhas after completing a 10-week cultural immersion course in Nepal.

After 24 years of marriage, Rowan and Sunetra Sastry officially divorced in 2015. Sunetra was granted a 'quickie' divorce due to Rowan’s 'unreasonable behaviour,' as reported by Daily Mail.

Shortly after the separation, Rowan moved on and into a new relationship—a decision that has been heavily crictised by his daughter. According to The Express, she called his actions a 'd**k move.'

Rowan Atkinson's current relationship with Louise Ford

Indeed, Rowan very quickly began dating comedian Louise Ford, whom he met in 2013 while performing in Quartermaine’s Terms in London’s West End.

Louise, known for her role as Kate Middleton in The Windsors, has kept the relationship low-key. The couple are rarely seen together in public and have not spoken openly about their private life.

Rowan and Louise have been together since 2014, despite the drama reported in the media. They moved in together in Atkinson's £4.6 million cottage in North London in 2016. The following year, in December 2017 the couple welcomed their daughter, Isla Atkinson.

It would seem that Atkinson is a family man. In 2019, he made a surprise announcement that he was taking a break from acting in order to help his partner. His decision to take a break from acting was so he could look after his daughter so his partner, Louise, could focus on her career.

Rowan Atkinson had told his friends, as reported by The Sun:

I am going to take care of Baby Bean while Louise has the chance to concentrate on acting.

Louise and Rowan aren’t married but have been in a committed relationship since 2014.

Who is Louise Ford?

Louise Ford is a fellow actress and started her career in roles with the comedy circuit. Her career took off when she landed roles in TV comedies such as Crashing and The Windsors where she played Kate Middleton.

Ford met Atkinson when the pair starred in the West End play Quartermaine’s Terms in 2012 as reported by The Sun. At the time, Ford was in a relationship with comedian James Acaster.

Her ex had revealed in one of his sketches that he had learned about his breakup in the newspapers according to AmoMama.

thumbnail — Rowan Atkinson and Louise Ford in Quartermaine’s Terms Robbie Jack/Getty

Before she began dating Rowan Atkinson, Louise Ford was in a relationship with stand-up comedian James Acaster. The two had been together for two years and were even living together when they split in 2014.

However, James later revealed he had no idea Louise had moved on until he opened a newspaper. He said in a comedy performance, as quoted by Daily Mail:

I got left for Mr Bean.

I found out a year after we split up. I opened the newspaper and there was a full-page story. No one else in the history of time has ever been left for Mr Bean.

Acaster used the experience as material for his routine, joking:

Until you get left for Mr Bean, you don’t realise how frequently he pops up. There’s a shop two streets from my house that sells masks of his face. There’s nowhere where I’m going to go that he’s not there.

His humorous take aside, the revelation seemed to have come as a shock, as he said: