U2 frontman Bono recently revealed his deep regret for refusing to become Michael Hutchence’s offer to be the godfather of his daughter.
Bono opens up on the matter
The U2 superstar told how his friend and INXS frontman “had disappeared into a hole” after having a child with Paula Yates in 1996 while spiralling into addiction.
Speaking to Brendan O’Connor on RTE, he said: “I like to have a good time. I think I am a good time. But there’s a point where suddenly you’re not playing with fire, the fire is playing with you. And I watched that with Michael Hutchence.”
Bono and his wife Ali Hewson befriended the Australian rockstar in the early 90s.
However, it is noted that the superstar Hutchence met rock journalist Paula while she was married to Bono’s close friend Bob Geldof, with whom she’d already shared two children.
Bono recounted the “hard moment” being stuck in the middle of the “messy” situation. He said: “He (Hutchence) met somebody who absolutely adored him in Paula. And that was very hard because she also loved Bob Geldof, and we were in the middle of that.”
Then suddenly, according to the Irish rocker, Michael “disappeared into this hole”.
When the controversial couple welcomed their daughter Tiger Lily into the world in 1996 and asked Bono and Ali to be her godparents, they refused – a decision which ultimately ended the two star’s friendship. Bono went on to explain that he and Ali’s decision was based on their inability to facilitate Michael and Paula’s “destructive” behaviour, especially when a young child was involved.
However, the U2 frontman admitted that he still regrets his decision to this day. He said: “Well it was a mistake. I deeply regret that.”
Michael was found dead in a Sydney Hotel room in 1997 while Paula died of a heroin overdose in 2000.