Sonya Nicole Hamlin, is an American real-estate lawyer and the former wife of English actor, producer, musician and DJ Idris Elba.
She met Idris in 2005, when she had just started her career as a lawyer.
However, by that time, she had already made a name for herself. After dating for several months, Sonya and Idris got married in Vegas.
It was a luxurious event but was kept away from any media attention. Unfortunately, Sonya and Idris divorced after a few months.
Who Is Sonya Nicole Hamlin: Photo source (Forbes)
Their individual career choices created problems in their marriage, and they decided to part ways.
Sonya has maintained a cordial relationship with her former husband. However, she has not remarried and mostly stays away from the limelight.
Relationship With Idris Elba
Sonya met Idris for the first time in 2005, through a mutual friend. She was at the initial phase of her law career at that time.
She had an office with around 10 employees, while Idris was struggling to come out of his failed relationship with Desiree Newberry, a pole dancer.
He was earlier married to makeup artist Hanne Norgaard, and the couple had a son.
Eventually, Sonya and Idris began dating each other. They even started living together in Maryland. The couple often spent quality time together in Vegas.
They never planned to get married. However, after dating for several months, they finally decided to take the plunge.
Sonya and Idris got married on April 9, 2006, at the ‘Kittle White Wedding Chapel’ in Las Vegas. An estate agent named Daniel Krastev was the only eyewitness of the wedding.
Unfortunately, their relationship turned sour soon after.
Sonya’s career was blooming, while Idris was still struggling to find a good job. This caused a stir in their marriage, and they finally decided to get divorced.
Divorce
Sonya filed for divorce from Idris after a brief marriage due to their career conflicts. Unable to relocate to Los Angeles for Idris, Sonya, with a thriving law career in Nevada, went through a challenging divorce. Initially filed in Maryland in June 2006, Sonya later filed for divorce in Nevada since state law required a year of marriage before filing.
In an interview, Sonya cited issues stemming from Idris’s past relationships and interference from his friends. His Hollywood ambitions may have also impacted their marriage. Despite the divorce, Sonya still admires Idris’s accomplishments and supports him.
Now living in Maryland, Sonya leads a private life away from social media and remains single.
Early Life And Education
Sonya Nicole Hamlin has always stayed away from the limelight. She has never been in the news at any point, apart from the time of her marriage and divorce.
Sonya was born in 1974 in the US.
Sonya lived in Notting Hill in London before relocating to the US for her career. She has studied law in both Washington and London.
She specializes in property law.
Sonya is an ardent fan of boxing and loves watching the weigh-ins. She loves English chocolate. In her leisure time, she enjoys music. She often spends time by the seaside.
Sonya filed for bankruptcy in 2009. However, she now lives in a house worth £400,000 in Maryland.
