Ed Sheeran is seen in tears in the trailer for his Disney documentary series The Sum Of It All, following the death of “best friend” Jamal Edwards.
The upcoming four-part series follows the singer’s story from the beginning of his career to now, amid the triumphs and more recent devastations in his personal life.
In one clip, Sheeran, 32, is seen breaking down in a car as the trailer switches focus on SBTV founder Edwards, who tragically died aged 31 last February.
Sheeran is heard in the trailer crediting Edwards for helping him launch his career as he opens up about the loss of his close friend. He also discusses the health issues of his wife Cherry Seaborn, with whom he shares two daughters.
“Loss: it just took over my life,” Sheeran says.
“Cherry’s health, it was really bad. And then suddenly, my best friend Jamal dies.”
Sheeran recently revealed that his wife was diagnosed with a tumour during the pregnancy of their second child last year, around the time of Edwards’ death.
In announcing his upcoming album Subtract earlier this month, the Shape of You singer said he “spiralled through fear, depression and anxiety” at the time.
Sheeran adds in the documentary series trailer: “Every time something massive happens, I tend to write a song about it.”
His track F64, made in tribute to Edwards, then plays over the clip as a montage appears with him and the late MBE entrepreneur.
Sheeran said that writing songs is his “therapy” after losing friend Edwards as he discussed his new album, due for release on May 5, in a post on Instagram.
He wrote: “At the start of 2022, a series of events changed my life, my mental health, and ultimately the way I viewed music and art. Writing songs is my therapy. It helps me make sense of my feelings.”
Following the death of Edwards, Sheeran shared in an earlier post that he “would not be here without him”.
The singer wrote: “A star’s light shines for millions of years after they go, and his will continue to light up every dark moment, we are all witnessing his power.”
The Sum Of It All is released on Disney+ on May 3.