Entertainment

Tori Kelly says married life with basketball player husband is awesome

The award-winning US singer-songwriter is about to release her third album.
The award-winning US singer-songwriter is about to release her third album.

Grammy-winning US singer Tori Kelly has said married life with her basketball player husband is “awesome” after the pair went through a long-distance relationship.

The Sorry Would Go A Long Way star, 26, tied the knot with German sportsman Andre Murillo last year, sharing the news on Instagram.

She said her upcoming third album, Inspired By True Events, is her most personal yet and deals with the wedding as well as her parents’ recent separation and the death of her grandfather.

Tori Kelly
Singer-songwriter Tori Kelly (Benjo Arwas/Universal Music Group/PA) (Benjo Arwas)

Kelly, from California, told PA that while there are still times they are apart, she is much happier now she is married to Murillo.

She said: “It’s been awesome finally being together and not being long distance. There’s still times where we will miss each other and we will be separated.

“There is a song called Coffee (on the new album), the opener, and that was written when we were still dating.

“It’s cool to see the progression, even in the album, of all the different events that have happened.

“It was definitely hard at times, for sure, just to be apart. But we are together now so it’s awesome.”

Professor Green and Tori Kelly perform at the MTV crashes Derry concert
Professor Green and Tori Kelly perform at the MTV crashes Derry concert (Niall Carson/PA)

She said the pair had talked about having children but that they were planning to wait.

“Yeah, probably later on,” she said.

“No rush at this point but it’s something we have definitely talked about.”

Last month Kelly visited the UK to perform live and promote Inspired By True Events, including a performance at north London’s Islington Assembly Hall.

She said she had had a “pretty emotional moment” hearing fans sing the words to her new songs back at her.

She said: “What’s crazy, speaking of social media, is that a lot of them did know the words from looking at YouTube videos.

“It got pretty emotional at one point for me. Just looking out and seeing these people listening to these very personal songs and just connecting with them.

“I had a moment on stage where I had to be like: ‘OK, I’m not going to cry.’

“I had to keep it together. But it was good. It was the good type of emotional. I was just super thankful.”

Murillo, who recently retired from basketball after an injury, has been on tour with Kelly and attended the gig in London.

Kelly said: “The last tour, he was able to come out for that. It was just awesome.

“He just loves to help. He’s so hands on. Wherever he is needed he will be there. It’s just really awesome to have him.

“He’s way more outgoing than me too. It’s weird because even though I’m on stage and in front of a lot of people I think I am actually shy in real life, when I am not performing.

“He’s the more outgoing one. He grew up listening to 90s RnB all the time. We connect on that a lot. Just the RnB stuff. That’s his number one.”

Inspired By True Events is out on August 9.