Rita Coolidge, the Grammy-winning singer whose soulful voice defined an era, has just broken her silence about a chapter of her life that fans have long speculated about — her private and little-known divorce from ex-husband Tatsuya Suda. And what she’s finally revealed has left fans across the globe shocked and deeply moved.
In an intimate interview shared earlier this week, Rita opened up about the deeply personal struggles that led to the quiet end of her second marriage — a relationship she had rarely spoken about publicly until now.
“There was so much love, and so much hope at the start,” Rita said softly. “But sometimes, even love can’t save two people from drifting apart.”
Coolidge married Tatsuya Suda, a Japanese computer scientist and academic, in 2004. At the time, it was seen as a fresh chapter for Rita — a woman who had weathered heartbreak, personal loss, and decades in the spotlight with grace and resilience. But behind the scenes, Rita says the marriage became increasingly strained by cultural distance, emotional misalignment, and a growing silence that neither of them knew how to fix.
“We stopped hearing each other,” she admitted. “And we both started to feel more alone in the same room than we did when we were apart.”
Their divorce was finalized quietly, far from headlines, and until now, Rita had chosen to keep the details private out of respect for their time together. But she says the moment felt right to finally share her truth — not to place blame, but to let go with peace.
“We weren’t enemies,” she said. “We were just two people trying our best, who came to realize that sometimes love means knowing when to say goodbye.”
Fans have reacted with a wave of surprise and support, many admitting they never even knew Rita had remarried after her famous relationships with Kris Kristofferson and others in the 1970s. For longtime admirers, her confession feels like a powerful reminder of how deeply human even the most celebrated voices truly are.
Despite the pain of the past, Rita says she holds no bitterness — only lessons.
“I learned that loving someone and living with them are two very different things,” she said. “And I learned that my happiness doesn’t have to depend on someone else’s.”
Now, at 79, Rita is focused on her legacy, her art, and her peace. She still writes music, occasionally performs, and is working on a memoir that she says will include “the truths I’ve carried for far too long.”
“I’ve made peace with all of it,” she smiled. “And I hope by telling my story, someone else finds the courage to tell theirs.”