Mona Hammond was married to Michael Saunders from 1965 to 1971. Before they divorced, they had a son named Michael (Matthew). Saunders rose to fame briefly after he married the Jamaican-British actress however, he went back to living low-key after the marriage ended.
Following the end of the marriage, Hammond went on to marry John Pedler in 1973, but that too was short-lived as the split in 1987.
With no news as to what became of Michael Saunders, Mona Hammond died on July 4, 2022. Only her son and her granddaughter are listed as her survivors. The Jamaican-British actress was best known for playing Blossom Jackson in BBC soap EastEnders and also Auntie Susu in sitcom, Desmond’s.
Mona Hammond and Michael Saunders were together before she had her big break in acting
With absolutely very few details about Mona Hammond’s ex-husband, we uncovered that he came into Mona’s life when her career just started. Around that time, she appeared in movies such as A Question of Hell (1964) and also her first leading role as Lady Macbeth at the Roundhouse in Peter Coe’s African version of the play.
Before they divorced, they welcomed a child together in the early 1970s. While some sources claim, their son’s name is Michael others claim it’s Matthew Paul Saunders.
The marriage soon ended after barely six years and the former couple moved on with their lives. While Saunders kept his life private, the EastEnders actress went on to marry John Pedler. This time around, the marriage lasted for more than a decade before it came crashing down again. Mona Hammond and Pedler divorced in 1987.
Although both her marriages failed, Mona Hammond’s career in the entertainment industry continued to soar higher.
She went on to feature in several television series and movies such as The Sweeney (1976), Wolcott (1980-81), When Love Dies (1990), Making Out (1989), Trial & Retribution (1998), Death in Paradise (2011) and most recently, EastEnders.
As an actress, Hammond went on to receive several awards and recognitions. Among them are the Edric Connor Inspiration Award, the Screen Nation Film and Television Awards, the Women of the World Lifetime Achievement Award, and an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
She also co-founded the Talawa Theatre Company, a black British theatre company. She was known for being instrumental in pushing forward the Black Theatre movement in the UK.
What Happened to Mona Hammond’s Ex-husband
While we are yet to confirm what happened to Saunders in his later life, it was reported that his ex-wife moved to a retirement home for entertainers, Brinworth House, and in 2018, she was visited by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
On July 4, 2022, news broke that Mona Hammond died at her residence. While her cause of death is yet to be confirmed, many sources believe she succumbed to a prolonged ailment.
According to Independent, the only statement that has been released by her family has to do with her age being 87 not 91 as reported by several media outlets.
The actress, who was born Mavis Chin in Jamaica to a Jamaican mother and Chinese father, was survived by her son and her granddaughter, Tallulah.
