Sir Richard Branson’s public tribute to his wife Joan, who died at age 80, has renewed interest in his early personal life and his first marriage.
Richard Branson announced on 25 November 2025 that his wife Joan had died, bringing their 50-year relationship to a close. He shared the news on his social media accounts, calling her the heart of their family. No further details about the cause of death were released.
Branson first met Joan Templeman in 1976 at The Manor, a recording studio in Oxfordshire, England. At that time, she worked in an antique shop that sold old advertising signs.
Branson later said he visited the shop again and again, buying hand-painted tin signs for brands such as Hovis and Woodbine while he built up the courage to speak to her.
The couple went on to have three children together: Holly, Sam, and Clare Sarah. Clare Sarah died shortly after birth in 1979. Richard Branson and Joan married in 1989 and remained together until she died in 2025.
Who Was Richard Branson’s First Wife?
Richard Branson’s first wife was architect and designer Kristen Tomassi.
They married on 4 July 1972 in Oxfordshire. Branson was 21 years old, and Tomassi was 20. At the time, Richard Branson was already running several business projects, while Tomassi was focused on her architecture and design studies in the United States.
Her education included studies at Concord Academy in Massachusetts, Fairfield University in Connecticut, Parsons School of Design in New York, and the Arizona State School of Architecture. After their wedding, she moved from the United States to live in England.
Tomassi was born and raised in Southport, Connecticut. Her father, Joseph H. Tomassi, worked as director of international marketing and development for Libby, McNeill, Libby International. Little public information has been recorded about her mother, Jacqueline Tomassi.
Problems in the Marriage
In his autobiography, Richard Branson wrote about serious medical issues that affected their relationship. He described what he called a “bizarre sexual allergy” that caused a painful rash whenever they had sex. He said the rash lasted for about three weeks each time and continued despite several medical visits.
Doctors tried various treatments. Branson even underwent circumcision, but the problem did not go away. The couple did not have children together. Alongside the medical problems, the marriage faced other strains, including reported affairs on both sides.
Their divorce was finalized in 1979.
Life After the Divorce
After the end of her marriage to Richard Branson, Kristen Tomassi began a relationship with musician Kevin Ayers. They had a daughter, Galen Ayers. Galen later became a musician and is married to Stephen James Hopkins.
Branson met Joan Templeman in 1976 while still married to Tomassi. His relationship with Templeman developed over several years. Richard Branson and Joan did not marry until 1989, but they stayed together as a couple for decades.
During these years, Branson expanded the Virgin business group, which grew to include Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Galactic, and Virgin Orbit. Joan Templeman was a steady presence in his life, appearing with him at major family events and key moments in his career.
A Long Partnership Marked by Loss
By the time of Joan Templeman’s death on 25 November 2025, she and Richard Branson had been together for nearly 50 years. Her death closes a long chapter in his personal life, shaped by the stability of their marriage and the earlier, more troubled years of his first marriage to Kristen Tomassi.
