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On April 18, 2025, British singer, songwriter, and actress Teddy Sinclair returned to social media after a long hiatus. The Cruel Youth band frontwoman mentioned she was away from the limelight and recovering from brain surgery in an Instagram post shared from the @cruelyouthxo account.
"The truth is, over the past year, I've been recovering from brain surgery for a condition called Trigeminal Neuralgia. Often referred to amongst the medical community as 'the suicide disease' because the pain it causes is so uniquely excruciating and debilitating," Teddy wrote.
She continued:
"My recovery has been anything but straightforward. This past year has been a process of re-learning to do the simple day-to-day things that many of us take for granted. I'm also adjusting to life with visual snow syndrome, debilitating migraines, limited hearing, and a benign brain tumor."
Sinclair added that she has been living with seizures and hearing difficulty while being unable to speak or sing properly. She mentioned "struggling to make out the words on a page," calling it life-changing and complex for her to "create work."
The 38-year-old shared that she was "stronger" than she was a year ago, even two years ago, and was "deeply grateful" for it. The post was accompanied by an image of Teddy Sinclair with her head on the lap of her husband, New Zealand singer, songwriter, and music producer Willy Moon. As mentioned in her caption, it was taken on New Year's Eve 2024.
Everything you need to know about Teddy Sinclair's band, Cruel Youth
Natalia Noemi "Teddy" Cappuccini Sinclair founded the Ronettes-influenced electropop band Cruel Youth in New York in late 2015 alongside her husband and co-writer, Willy Moon, whose real name is William Sinclair.
Teddy Sinclair is currently the lead vocalist and lyricist of the group, which has two other members – guitarist Lauren Stockner and keyboardist Tina Hanae. According to allmusic.com, the band plays in multiple genres, including pop rock, indie pop, alternative rock, and more.
Cruel Youth's first song, Mr. Watson, was released in February 2016 and was inspired by 1960s girl indie pop. Two months later, another single, Diamond Days, was released, followed by the EP, +30mg, in September of that same year.
In mid-2017, the band appeared on the HOLYWATER dance single, Hush. Subsequently, Cruel Youth released projects titled Too Long and Sunny (a non-album single), led by the Sinclairs. Other tracks, such as Hatef*ck, Devil in Paradise, and Portrait of a Female, were also dropped.
Artists Bobby Hebb, Jonny Harris, Jack Leech, Jack Leonard, Swizz Beatz, Prequell, Nurko, Kyle Hume, Kiiara, and NERIAH have been some of the collaborators of the band. In 2022, Cruel Youth composed Mr. Badman for the soundtrack of the American horror thriller movie The Invitation.
More about Teddy Sinclair’s latest social media post
On Thursday, Teddy Sinclair posted on Instagram explaining why she had been away from the spotlight for over a year.
"To those of you who've been wondering where I disappeared to, thank you for still wondering. I'm not gone, not lost, not dead… though for a while, it felt like I was floating somewhere in between," she wrote.
Teddy Sinclair explained having been recovering from a brain condition called Trigeminal Neuralgia and a subsequent surgery, alongside other ailments, which resulted in speech, hearing, vision, and other physical difficulties.
"My body may never return to what it once was, but I'm deeply grateful for what it can do. I feel so unbelievably lucky for all the devotion, care, and support I've received from the truly wonderful special people I love, who stood still with me while my life was on pause and the world moved on without me," Teddy noted.
Sinclair explained experiencing "grief" and an identity crisis when she was unable to write or do her music due to her medical issues, claiming that missing someone close to you is "painful," but missing oneself is "truly heartbreaking and bewildering."
Towards the end of her post, Teddy Sinclair shared being inspired by legendary artists, including Beethoven, who was "deaf yet undeterred," Mozart, who composed at his deathbed, and Sufjan Stevens, who made music "against all odds."
The former X-Factor judge shared that these individuals pushed her to "get back up and try again" while promising her followers she would soon return with "new songs, old songs, blue songs, and true songs." Teddy Sinclair concluded by saying she was "excited to be here" and "missed" everyone so much, sharing her "love" for her fans.
In her caption, she asked people to wait for her as she "made it" against all odds and recalled that on New Year's Eve 2024, her "only wish" was to "walk, talk, chew, balance, get dressed, and see just enough to be able to leave the house again."
"At one point, we thought I never would. But I was determined. And there I am with my high heels on, closer to God, out of the house, and back in the world again just in time for the New Year. Sure, I needed help getting ready, and friends with strong elbows letting me hold myself up while we walked a few blocks," Teddy Sinclair wrote.
Teddy Sinclair previously made dance-pop music under the pseudonym Natalia Kills. She dropped albums Perfectionist and Trouble in 2011 and 2013 under the Interscope label, followed by an LP, Here's Willy Moon, produced by her husband.
Subsequently, she tied the knot with William in 2014 and together became judges on New Zealand's The X Factor in February 2015. However, the pair was soon fired for their harsh criticism of a contestant, following which they moved to the USA and formed Cruel Youth.
