LOVE LIFE OF BRITAIN'S RICHEST ARTIST DAMIEN HIRST AS HE WELCOMES SON

Britain's richest artist Damien Hurst last night announced the arrival of his child with girlfriend Sophie Cannell, he welcomed his fourth son into the world more than 28 years after his first.

Taking to Instagram on Wednesday evening Hirst, 58, posted a sweet picture of former ballerina Cannell, 30, resting with their newborn baby and joked: 'Trying not to let the arrival of this beautiful baby boy interfere with the snooker.'

The artist, whose net worth was estimated at $384 million (£308 million) in 2020, is said to be all but ready to tie the knot with his partner, who he is reportedly engaged to after first meeting her in 2018.

It comes after a varied love life in which he has dated a string of women far younger than him following the breakup of his long-term relationship of 20 years.

His ex-partner Maia Norman left Hirst after 20 years to date a former mercenary who served in the Scots Guards, before the artist began dating women in their early twenties.

As fans hope he has finally found the one, MailOnline takes a look back at Hirst's previous relationships.

Maia Norman

Hirst dated his long-term partner Maia Norman for 20 years before their split in 2012.

Norman told how she met Hirst in 1993 when she was dating his friend, art dealer Jay Jopling.

Romance blossomed when she and Hirst bonded over their mutual lack of a father figure and humble beginnings – he in Leeds and she in Los Angeles.

Norman, originally from California, lived with the artist for almost two decades and is several years his senior.

Despite never marrying, Hirst referred to her as his 'common law wife' and the couple had three children together, Connor Ojala, 28, Cassius Atticus, 23, and Cyrus Joe, 18.

Regarding their decision never to marry, Norman previously said: 'We both come from divorced families, which doesn't exactly boost your faith in the institution.'

Their relationship came to a sad end after Norman met former mercenary Tim Spicer, and began an affair.

After revealing the affair to Hirst, she broke off their relationship to be with Spicer, who is ten years her senior.

Spicer, a former Lieutenant Colonel in the Scots Guards, was running Aegis Defence Services, a security firm that had won multi-million-pound contracts with the US government in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Roxie Nafousi

Just two months after the end of his relationship with Norman, Hirst was seen dating drinks mogal Roxie Nafousi who, at 22, was 25 years his senior.

The couple were first pictured in August 2012, when they went on a two week holiday together to the Seychelles.

Nafousi was then employed by drinks company Diageo, where she oversaw the luxury Diageo Reserve account.

It was reported at the time that Hirst had given Nafousi a number of pieces of his artwork, including one of his signature bejeweled skulls.

Unfortunately the relationship lasted just three years, with Nafousi afterwards saying she was brokenhearted.

Now an author and speaker, Nafousi was also previously linked romantically to One Direction star Harry Styles, although this was never confirmed.

Katie Keight

Soon after breaking up with Nafousi, Hirst started dating his third long-term partner, aspiring actress and model Katie Keight.

Dating from late 2015 to 2017, the couple met when Hirst was 50 and Keight was 25.

They quickly moved in together and, like his previous partners, Hirst took Keight to many glitzy events and art exhibitions, being photographed by the world's media.

After the relationship ended, Hirst appears to have had a break from his romantic side, before meeting his current partner the following year,

Sophie Cannell

Hirst reportedly met his current partner, Sophie Cannell, at the swanky Chiltern Firehouse nightclub, where she used to work as a waitress in 2018.

At 30, she is just two years older than Hirst's oldest son and has just given birth to his fourth child, 28 years after the first.

Cannell, who began dating Hirst when she was 24, splits her time between London and LA and also shares three French bulldogs with him.

Hirst famously used Cannell as inspiration for a sculpture of Medusa he was commissioned to sculpt for restauranteur Richard Caring's eatery.

The new mother is a former professional ballerina and announced the pregnancy on Instagram at the end of last year.

Both she and Hirst shared snaps of their newborn on social media, but have not yet announced whether they have chosen a name.

Cannell also shared a snap of dozens of bouquets she seems to have been sent since giving birth.

2024-05-09T14:53:40Z dg43tfdfdgfd