How Joss Stone rebuilt her life following shocking kidnap plot – motherhood and life in America

A soulful sensation of the 2000s, a boho-chic fashion mogul, and a cosy connection with Prince Harry – Joss Stone’s early years were anything but quiet.

Originally from the West Country, Joss rose to fame at the ripe age of 17 as she became the youngest British female singer to top the UK albums chart. The Grammy award winner even dabbled in acting, starring in a few films and TV shows. The world was her oyster until a fateful day changed her relationship with the limelight forever.

The murder plot

In June 2011, Joss was the victim of a kidnap plot, with two men – Kevin Liverpool and Junior Bradshaw – convicted of planning to murder the singer at her east Devon home. Their Fiat Punto was loaded with weapons including a samurai sword, knives, and hammers. The convicted duo also had handwritten notes outlining their plan to steal £1 million from the singer and dump her body in a river. Through the help of some watchful residents, Joss luckily clocked on and called the police just in time.

Tying the knot

Understandably, the star has since opted for a quiet life away from the glitz and glamour. In 2020, she met Cody DaLuz, a former US marine, at an airport in Belize and the pair moved to Nashville, Tennessee. A secret wedding took place in 2023, with Joss donning a £70 dress from ASOS. The couple share two children, Violet, three, and Shackleton, two, however Joss has previously shared with HELLO! that she would like “25 kids”.

Motherhood

And it looks like the singer is staying true to her words as she welcomed a third child last week. The couple adopted a baby son named Bear, with Joss quickly taking to Instagram to celebrate the news. The video depicted the couple in high spirits as they headed to meet their newborn.

Joss captioned the post: “Happy mummy Mondays. This is what happened to us last Monday. We can not quite believe it. We are in love big time with this little guy. The reason why Cody even exists is because his bio mum loved him enough to make an adoption plan for him and the same goes for Bear. Honestly bio mothers do not get the gratitude they deserve. It is a more selfless love than I knew existed. Truly. We are just so happy to be part of this beautiful cycle. Please share your stories of adoption in the comments if you have any. And please welcome our gorgeous baby boy to this wonderful world xxxx.”

Back in October last year, the multi-platinum-selling music artist exclusively shared with HELLO! the couple’s plan to begin the adoption process. Joss said: “We’re trying to do our home study [the assessment process for prospective adoptive parents]. I hope we get to do it.

“I want, like, 25 kids.” 

And it seems the singer’s daughter Violet is set to follow in her mother’s musical footsteps. Joss added: “She is obsessed with her ukulele – she runs around the house pretending to play it and sing – and she loves paints and colours.” 

© Getty Images

Joss has opened up in the past about juggling motherhood and her musical career. Talking at the media showcase for the new musical she has been busy writing with Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, the mum-of-two revealed her move from pop to the West End was part of a larger motherhood strategy.

She said: “People do tend take it easy at this stage in motherhood and I’m thinking hang on, I should be doing that.

“But I think it’s fun. The way I see it, these years before the kids start school are when I can do it. Whatever I’m doing, the babies are just down the road. My partner is with me. He works remotely and they come with me everywhere. They were here earlier today – I’m still feeding Shac, he is six months old, and Violet is two and a half. They are not in school. They are running around the world with me. The school years are when it’s going to be like, ‘Oh my God, what am I gonna do?’ Because I want to take her to school. I want to pick her up from school. I’m talking about Violet because she’s older but I want to take both of them. I want to make them dinner. I want to make them breakfast. I want to do that. If I can write songs for others to sing, I can drop her off, go home and write a little tune, pick her up. That’s like my dream right now. That feels like my dream.”