Richard Hammond’s Marriage to Mindy Ends After 28 Years as She “Kicks Him Out of the Castle”
Richard Hammond, the beloved 55-year-old star of Top Gear and The Grand Tour, has confirmed the end of his 28-year marriage to Mindy Hammond. The split comes amid claims that Mindy had asked Richard to leave their £7 million Bollitree Castle estate in Herefordshire, reportedly moving him to a rented house nearby.
Richard is devastated by this. He tried everything to save the marriage, but it wasn’t enough. Reports suggest that Mindy, 54, filed for divorce after years of tension and personal struggles, including Richard’s history of life-threatening crashes.
Years of Strain: The Aftermath of High-Speed Accidents
Mindy had previously warned Richard after his 2017 crash in Switzerland, during the filming of The Grand Tour. The crash, which saw Richard’s Rimac Concept One plummet down a 100-meter slope before bursting into flames, was his second major accident. The first, in 2006, left him in a coma for two weeks after a jet-powered car flipped at 288mph while shooting for Top Gear.
In an emotional interview on ITV’s This Morning in 2017, Mindy joked but warned, “I told him, three strikes and you’re out. He’s on strike two.” She admitted to having an eerie feeling before the crash, recalling, “I called him the day before, which I never do. The next day, I got a call, and he said, ‘I’ve had a bit of a shunt.’”
Richard, ever candid, later said he believed he was moments from death in the crash. “When the car hit the ground, I knew it was bad. I remember thinking, ‘This is it.’” He fractured his knee in the incident, describing the feeling as “like being inside a tumble dryer full of bricks.”
The Castle and Custody of Memories
As part of the divorce settlement, Mindy is expected to retain Bollitree Castle, their family home. The couple raised their two daughters, Isabella, 24, and Willow, 22, in the historic property. Mindy, a respected columnist, shared in past interviews that the couple had little time for romance, with only “two short romantic breaks” in their nearly three decades together.
A Farewell with Grace
Announcing the separation on X (formerly Twitter), Richard wrote:
“After 28 wonderful years, Mindy and I have decided to part ways. We will remain a family with a slightly different structure. We are incredibly proud of what we’ve built together, including our two incredible daughters. We kindly ask for privacy during this time.”
The Lingering Impact of Trauma
In recent years, Richard has spoken openly about the long-term effects of his accidents, expressing fears of memory loss potentially linked to his brain injuries. On The Diary of a CEO podcast, he admitted, “My memory isn’t sharp. I sometimes worry it’s the start of something worse. I need to get it checked, but I’m too scared.”
He reflected on the emotional aftermath of his injuries, saying, “I was angry for a while. Brain injuries mess with your emotions. But it’s given me a strange clarity—I don’t trust my feelings too much when I’m tired or stressed.”
While the split marks the end of an era, Richard Hammond remains a celebrated figure in British television. Despite personal and physical hurdles, his resilience and humor have endeared him to fans worldwide.
As Richard embarks on this new chapter, his statement echoes a sentiment of respect and shared love for the family they’ve built—a legacy that will endure, even as their lives take different paths.
