Florence Welch Recalls Near-Fatal Ectopic Pregnancy and Emergency Surgery

The lead singer of Florence & The Machine, Florence Welch, recently shared a harrowing experience where she nearly lost her life due to an ectopic pregnancy requiring urgent surgery.

In an interview, she described the experience as profoundly devastating, stating, “The closest I came to making life was the closest I came to death. I felt like I had stepped through a door filled with women, screaming.”

An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, often inside the fallopian tube. Symptoms usually include intense abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, and dizziness.

Florence Welch live performance in Torino, 2019. — Florence Welch revealed she nearly died during her pregnancy in 2023, leading to emergency surgery.

Welch was pregnant at 37 with her partner, a guitarist with whom she has an on-and-off relationship. Leading up to a scheduled performance, she felt unwell, experiencing pain and heavy bleeding. Her doctors advised immediate medical attention, and she returned to London where it was discovered that her fallopian tube had ruptured, with an estimated Coke can’s worth of blood in her abdomen.

Florence Welch performing live in 2010. — Doctors promptly removed her fallopian tube during emergency surgery.

Following the diagnosis, Welch underwent emergency surgery to have the affected tube removed. She recounted feeling an instinct to run away during the procedure, describing her state as animalistic, with a sound that she likened to that of a wounded animal.

Florence Welch performing at a festival in 2023. — She later expressed relief that she canceled tour dates, as traveling could have been fatal.

Welch had been scheduled to perform at festivals shortly after the incident. She reflected that if she had traveled by plane, her condition could have worsened dramatically, even suggesting she might not have survived.

The singer also shared her perspective on previous miscarriages, explaining that she believed early pregnancy losses were typically not dangerous, though heartbreaking.

Her revelations come amidst a period of silence around her health, following her abrupt cancellation of UK tour dates in August 2023, initially thought to be due to a foot injury. She later revealed that her surgery was life-saving and that she was not yet emotionally ready to discuss the details, but that the experience had reinforced her resilience.

Despite setbacks, Welch remains optimistic about returning to the stage, planning to conclude her tour in Lisbon and Malaga, acknowledging that her experience has become part of her narrative of overcoming adversity.