Cynthia Lennon has revealed that her former husband once hit her during a fit of anger. The book, 'John', which tells of her life with John Lennon is published on 27 Sep, but an excerpt appeared in the Sunday Times at the weekend. In that excerpt, she says "I could put up with his outbursts, the jealousy and possessiveness but not the violence."
Cynthia, who was married to Lennon from 1962 to 1968, says that the incident happened whilst they were still at art college, after John saw her dance with short-term Beatle Stuart Sutcliffe.
She writes: "The next day at college he followed me to the girls' loos in the basement. When I came out he was waiting with a dark look on his face. Before I could speak he raised his arm and hit me across the face, knocking my head into the pipes that ran down the wall behind me."
She adds that it was three months before he apologised, or asked her out again, and continues: "Although he was still verbally cutting and unkind, he was never again physically violent to me."