Introduction
ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus at 79 Opens Up About Struggles in His Marriage: “I Just Gave Up”
For decades, Björn Ulvaeus has been admired not only as a brilliant songwriter and founding member of ABBA, but also as someone who carried himself with quiet grace despite the pressures of global fame. Known for penning timeless classics such as “The Winner Takes It All” and “Dancing Queen”, Björn has always seemed a man in control—disciplined, creative, and resilient. But at 79, he is now speaking candidly about a private struggle that few ever expected him to share: the difficulties of living with a 28-year age gap in his marriage.
Björn married music journalist Lena Källersjö in 1981, just one year after his divorce from Agnetha Fältskog. Together, he and Lena shared more than four decades of companionship and raised two daughters, creating what seemed from the outside to be a stable and lasting partnership. Yet behind the curtain of stability, Björn admits there were “severe problems,” ones rooted not in a lack of love but in the inevitable challenges of such a wide age difference.
“When you are nearly three decades apart, you see the world differently,” Björn reflected. “In the beginning, love bridges that gap. But over time, the differences grow larger. Eventually, I just gave up.” His words are not bitter, but weary—an acknowledgment that even the most devoted partnerships can falter under pressures beyond anyone’s control.
The age gap, he explained, created unspoken tensions about lifestyle, priorities, and even energy levels. While Lena remained youthful and active, Björn, entering his seventies, found it increasingly difficult to keep up with the pace of a younger partner. The imbalance eventually left him feeling distant and out of step in a marriage that once felt effortless.
This revelation comes as a surprise to many long-time ABBA fans, who often viewed Björn and Lena as a picture of endurance after the collapse of his first marriage. But Björn’s honesty sheds light on the reality that relationships—no matter how stable they appear from the outside—carry unseen complexities. Fame, responsibility, and personal evolution only magnify those pressures.
Yet despite his admission of struggle, Björn does not dwell in regret. He remains grateful for the decades of companionship, the family they built, and the mutual respect they continue to share. “Love doesn’t always last in the way you want it to,” he said, “but it leaves behind something valuable—memories, children, and the lessons of what it means to truly share a life with someone.”
At 79, Björn Ulvaeus is still writing, reflecting, and creating. His recent openness about his marriage shows a different side of the man behind ABBA’s glittering songs—a reminder that even those who gave the world unforgettable joy have faced private heartbreaks of their own.