The Welsh pop star, whose real name is Gaynor Hopkins, died just months after she was treated in intensive care after being placed in an induced coma following an emergency intestinal surgery.
In a statement published on the singer’s official website, her family said: “Bonnie’s family and team are heartbroken to announce that Bonnie unexpectedly passed away last night in hospital in Portugal as a result of the illness that she was being treated for.
“We will issue a further statement shortly but for now ask for privacy to deal with this tragedy.”
Bonnie was married to property developer and 1972 Olympic judo competitor Robert Sullivan for more than 50 years.
The singer credited the longevity of their union to meeting before she found fame, as they married in 1973.
Who is Robert Sullivan?
Robert was a prominent judoka in the early 1970s and participated in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.
He competed for Great Britain in the men’s half-middleweight division, placing 18th.
He also earned a silver medal at the 1972 European Team Championships in the Netherlands.
After retiring from judo, Robert transitioned to a career in real estate and later became a successful property developer.
Robert worked as a club manager when he met Bonnie in 1970, after she started singing in nightclubs in Swansea.
In a previous interview with The Times, Bonnie said: “I think the secret to our success is that we met before I was famous.
“We don’t have children because we left it too late to stop taking precautions, and then I had a miscarriage when I was 40.
“I was unlucky, but I love all my nieces and nephews.”
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The couple invested in property around the world and reportedly owned 22 homes in Berkshire and London, as well as a farm in New Zealand.
They divided their time between homes in Mumbles, on the Gower Peninsula near Swansea, and Albufeira in the Algarve region of Portugal.
A joint net worth of $40 million was reported, largely attributed to their property ventures and Bonnie’s music career.
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