Wikipedia Biography / Profile Background
Introduction :
- Few would have heard of Sonya Nicole Hamlin, if she had not been married to a Hollywood celebrity & actor Idris Elba.
- They had kept their legal union under wraps & so it attracted little attention. Their breakup, however, did come into the limelight, since both agreed to ‘talk’ to the media, ten years later!
Personal Life, Parents and Family Details :
- Now well into her mid to late forties, Sonya lives in Maryland, on the Eastern Seaboard.
- Most of her public interviews have focus on her failed marriage.
- Little other information about her background or family.
- It was ‘love at first sight’ when a mutual friend introduced the couple to one another, in 2006!
- Soon after, they went in for a live-in relationship, followed by a ‘secret’ marriage in Las Vegas. Four months later, the couple split up.
Elba’s Relationships and Marriage with Sonya :
- Idris Elba’s parents were immigrants to Canning Town in England, from Ghana and Sierra Leone.
- The dream of becoming an actor prompted Idris to move to New York with his first wife, a makeup artist named Hanne Norgaard.
- Idris left his wife and newborn son in 2001.
- He met Sonya soon after he had secured his first major role in the television show, The Wire. At that time, he was also on a break from a relationship with Desiree Newberry, a pole dancer.
- Idris proposed marriage on April 8, 2006, while the couple was at Las Vegas, Nevada, in order to watch the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Zab Judah boxing match.
- They got married at the Little White Wedding Chapel there, with a sole witness present at the ‘secret’ ceremony.
- This witness was Daniel Krastev, a Las Vegas estate agent and a complete stranger!
- Everything was hunky-dory for some time, until Idris became a big hit & began to receive several movie offers and desired to move to California.
- Sonya could not abandon her practice and relocate. Therefore, the couple decided to separate.
Education, Salary & Profession
- Sonya studied law at both, London and Washington, specializing in property law.
- She was a resident of Notting Hill in London.
- When she met Idris, Sonya’s law practice was flourishing. Her office had ten employees.
- It also helped that there was a real estate boom at that time.
Interesting Facts, Height and Trivia :
- Sonya confesses that she is a die-hard fan of boxing, and loves watching the weigh-ins.
- She also likes to ‘doll up’ whenever she can.
- Chocolate, especially English chocolate is a passion for her! She has literally lived on it, while studying in London!
- In her free time, she loves to spend time by the seaside, listen to music or just lounge about the house.
