Infamous television host Rolf Harris died of neck cancer and old-age-related issues on May 10th. The news of his death came out two weeks later and saw a renewed interest from the public in the sexual offender’s life.
People are eager to know more about Harris’ personal life, including the details of his wife and family. The former comedian and actor got married once in his life and stayed with his wife till the very last breath. Here is everything we know about Rolf Harris’ wife, Alwen Hughes.
Who is Rolf Harris’ Wife: Alwen Hughes?
Hughes was born in London in December 1931 and grew up in Wales. She pursued a career in jewelry and sculpting and met Harris at an art school. The couple got married in 1958 and stayed together till the former presenter’s death in May 2023. During their wedding, the couple reportedly decided to have a poodle as a bridesmaid.
Hughes stood by her husband as he faced sexual assault charges and went to trial in 2014. She claimed that her husband was not guilty and attended all the court proceedings and hearings with Harris. She is now said to be suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, and Harris was reported to be her sole carer.
In 2017, Harris appealed in court to overturn his conviction and cited his wife’s death as one of the reasons why he should be released. “Whilst I am pleased that this is finally over, I feel no sense of victory – just relief. I am 87 years old, my wife is in ill health and we simply want to spend our remaining time together,” he said at the time.
Following his release, Harris spent his last years with Hughes in their Bray mansion. The couple’s health deteriorated over the years, and as per their neighbors, they rarely got out of their house.
Hughes was Forced to Watch as Harris Harassed Women
Harris’ family friend Chris Brosnan had earlier claimed that he used to harass women in front of his wife, who was forced to watch the whole scene. “When it came to women, it was impossible for Rolf to think about his wife and his daughter,” revealed Brosnan in an ITVX documentary.
“In front of Alwen, he’d take a woman’s hand, hold their hand and pull them in closer to them and then he would start kissing them all the way up their arm and he’d get up to their neck and then he’d be kissing their neck,” he added.
Harris has a Daughter Named Bindi Nicholls
Apart from Hughes, Harris’ family included his 58-year-old daughter, Bindi Nicholls. Just like her mother, Bindi also supported her father during his trial in 2014 and claimed that he was innocent.
She also wrote a book named Living With A Pervert and explained how Harris’s intentions were misunderstood by his alleged victims. “Dad is from the age of Benny Hill, Carry On films. He is Australian – which was pretty male chauvinist in those days,” she wrote.
“That is the era he is from, so sometimes he says non-PC jokes. He loves a flirt, which he does very openly, much to my embarrassment, but I have met many a man from my dad’s generation like that,” Nicholls added.
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