Tina Malone speaks about cause of her husband Paul Chase Malone's death, saying he 'couldn’t fight any more'

Tina Malone has said that her army veteran husband committed suicide after suffering from PTSD - and has told her fans she is launching a charity in his name.

Paul Chase Malone died aged 42 in March. 61-year-old soap star Tina announced the death of her husband of 14 years on social media on Wednesday March 13. The actress wrote on X: "It’s with total heartbreak I write this my husband Paul Chase Malone passed away this morning we are totally devastated." His cause of death was not revealed at the time.

Now, Tina has said that in the 12 months before his death, her husband’s mental health had got worse. Speaking to ‘The Mirror’ she said: “I’ve not spoken about this publicly until this minute. It’s the first time I’ve said it and confirmed it. Paul did commit suicide. I believe in transparency.” She went on: “I’ll never get over it. I miss him so badly and I love him so much. One thing I know . . . he’s in a better place than here.”

A former member of the 22nd Regiment of the Cheshires, Paul’s service included Northern Ireland, Belize, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Falklands. Nicknamed “Chevy” by Army pals thanks to his surname Chase, he served forr ten years. Tina said when police knocked on the door of the Liverpool home they shared she “just knew”. She said: “Paul hadn’t come home the previous night. I heard sirens, saw flashing blue lights, and I knew.”

She explained that while struggling to deal with spiralling anxiety and depression, Paul had turned to drink and drugs. She said: “He felt lost, he felt useless. He couldn’t fight any more. Drugs weren’t recreational. Drink wasn’t social.”

Tina, known for her roles in Shameless and Brookside, married Paul in 2010, but the two announced their separation in 2019 after 11 years together. However, they reconciled their marriage in February 2020. The star said their relationship was back to normal and said their "love never went away". The couple shared a daughter called Flame, who was born in 2013 when Tina was 50. Tina added: “If I didn’t have Flame I really wouldn’t want to be here.”

Paul’s PTSD was diagnosed three years ago. On May 28, which was Paul’s birthday, Tina will launch a foundation called Paul’s Flame, to help those in crisis. She said: “When he got drunk he’d ramble about the army and I’d tell him, ‘you have depression, you have emotional issues because of what you’ve seen’. But he’d sweep it away. He’d say, ‘how will I get a job if I have that?’ He admitted it in the end but by then things had gone too far.

“This is a man who served his country. The only way I can get through is by fighting for change, addressing the issues facing veterans and soldiers, trying to help others.” She added: “He’d concealed his PTSD, but imagine if you’ve been at war and you can’t count how many people you killed. How do you come back? He loved the Army but it left him scarred.”

Tina said she was inspired to start the foundation by her family and friends who rallied around her and her daughter in the days after her husband’s death, cooking, shopping, and helping with funeral costs. She added: “I want it to shine a light on people in poverty and in crisis. The single mum who needs a new washing machine, someone who has come out of the army and needs a microwave. I saw for myself when Paul died how a community came together. Paul would be extremely proud.”

Later in the interview, Tina also spoke about the time she first met Paul. She had just come out of Celebrity Big Brother when they met at a Peak District boot camp, where he was a personal trainer. She said: “There was me, no lashes on, sweating, looking like nothing on earth . . . but we talked and talked. We chatted about his Army time, particularly Iraq. He didn’t know who I was. We just got on.”

At an end-of-camp event Tina saw him dance and said she knew from that moment that he was special. She said: “I love a man who can move. We texted a few times and went on a date, spending the weekend in Liverpool. Thirteen days later he moved in. I told him, ‘I’m morbidly obese and bipolar. I’m self-obsessed, self-ab­­sorbed, opinionated, loud and brassy. If I want to make a lemon drizzle cake and watch The Sopranos at 3am, I’m going to do it.’ He just looked at me and said, ‘I’ll give it a go’.”

Tina, who also has another daughter Danielle, aged 42, and a granddaughter Dorothy, age seven, wed Paul in Man­­chester. She said before his mental health deteriorated, their life toegther was perfect. She said: “We travelled all over the world – we swam with sharks in Hawaii, partied with the craziest people in LA.”

Tina previously revealed on X how the last time she saw Paul before he died she watched him make a meal for Flame. She wrote: “Four weeks ago at 4pm today my hubby made scrambled eggs, bacon, beans, sausages for flame, kissed me and said see you later…. 10 hours later he was dead, I am broken, so bereft.” Now, she’s opened up about it even more. “Then he kissed me, said, ‘See you later’, and went out. Hours later he was dead.”

She also explained that Paul’s mental health struggles led him to think negatively about himself. “He thought he was a drain on me, he said he was no good for me. It was awful.” Two months on from his death, Tina still talks about her husband every day and his things are still where he left them in the house. She said: “His toothbrush is still in the bathroom, his gym bag in the hall.”

She went on to discuss the impact his death has had on their daughter. She said: “I was honest from the outset with Flame about what happened. I didn’t want there to be any mystery about how he died. She tells me she’s seen him, in her room and in the woods where he waved at her. It might be her way of coping but it’s a comfort.”

• If you are suffering with suicidal thoughts, you can contact The Samaritans on 116 123 for free, confidential support People with hearing problems or other communication difficulties can text 07889 036 280.