Sophie Kinsella had the love and support of her husband, Henry Wickham, during her final years while battling glioblastoma. The acclaimed Shopaholic book series author died when she was 55 in December 2025, her family announced in a statement on her Instagram page.
“We are heartbroken to announce the passing this morning of our beloved Sophie (aka Maddy, aka Mummy),” the announcement read. “She died peacefully, with her final days filled with her true loves: family and music and warmth and Christmas and joy. We can’t imagine what life will be like without her radiance and love of life.”
The statement continued, “Despite her illness, which she bore with unimaginable courage, Sophie counted herself truly blessed – to have such wonderful family and friends, and to have had the extraordinary success of her writing career. She took nothing for granted and was forever grateful for the love she received. She will be missed so much our hearts are breaking.”
Learn about Sophie’s husband here.
Who Was Sophie Kinsella?
Who Is Sophie Kinsella’s Husband?
As previously noted, Sophie’s husband is Henry Wickham, a schoolmaster, whom she met at Oxford. Henry helped manage his wife’s business affairs.
During a July 2024 Good Morning America interview, Sophie credited Henry with being “such a hero” when she received her grade 4 glioblastoma diagnosis.
“He has just been such a hero,” she said. “He stayed with me in the hospital the whole time. I once said to him, I got very teary at one stage and I said, ‘Oh my God, but you didn’t sign up for this.’ And do you know what he said? He said, ‘Yes, I did. In sickness and in health.’”
Did Sophie Kinsella Have Children?
Sophie and her husband shared five children altogether: sons Freddy, Hugo, Oscar and Rex and daughter Sybella.
How Did Sophie Kinsella Die?
Sophie died following her battle with grade 4 glioblastoma. She was diagnosed in 2022 and revealed the news in 2024. During her appearance on GMA that year, Sophie detailed the ordeal from her symptoms to the moment she received her diagnosis.
“The first symptoms that I had was … my legs. I was stumbling, I was tripping,” the late author explained. “I started getting very severe headaches. I got very confused. But it was really when I started tipping over in my chair that we realized something really was wrong.”
After an eight-hour surgery to remove the tumor, Kinsella still underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
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