ABBA’s Pain From Nasty Divorces to Nazi Scandals Revealed — After Band is Left Broken by Death of 'Talented and Unique' Member
The members of ABBA have dealt with a litany of tragedies.
May 23 2025, Published 2:05 p.m. ET
The surviving members of Swedish supergroup ABBA are mourning the loss of one of their own, RadarOnline.com can report.
The band, which endured a bitter breakup in 1982, has suffered through many losses and setbacks both during and after their partnership.
Michael B Tretow was 80.
Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad named ABBA for the first letter of their first names.
They were one of the most successful acts in the history of popular music and the inspiration for the Broadway musical and subsequent film franchise based on their song Mama Mia!
While no longer touring together, all four have spoken out after the loss of their friend and fellow musician Michael B Tretow, who also served as the band's sound engineer.
Tretow, who died earlier this week at the age of 80, was a prominent figure in Swedish music for decades and worked closely with the band at the height of their popularity.
His loss is just the latest in what has become a tragic legacy for the rockers.
Touching Tributes
The band was a powerhouse in the 70s.
In a series of touching tributes, Benny said: "You meant more to us four in ABBA than anyone else. Our music lives on, it seems, and you are the one who made it timeless."
Bjorn went onto say: "His significance for ABBA cannot be overestimated. He was a warm, generous person and a good friend. Thanks, Micke, for all the laughs!'
Anni-Frid said: "For us, you are forever part of the ABBA sound, and you will never be forgotten!"
While Agnetha added: "We are sad now, a talented and unique person has left us. Sleep well Micke, you are in our hearts forever."
Highs and Lows
Their music was turned into the musical 'Mama Mia!'
In 1974, ABBA rocketed to fame with its huge hit Waterloo. For a while, it was a love-fest on and off the music charts, as Agnetha was married to Björn and Benny was hitched to Anni-Frid.
However, the unions wouldn't last, as Benny and Anni-Frid divorced, followed by Björn and Agetha just a few years later. A source said "Many believed Björn was seeing (future wife) Lena behind Agnetha’s back — that he was cheating on her!"
The failed marriage inspired Björn to write the hit ballad 'The Winner Takes It All.'"
Meanwhile, Agnetha suffered a host of personal disasters, including failed love affairs — and a terrible traffic accident in 1983 when she was thrown out the window of a bus on a solo tour.
She was further devastated by the suicide of her mother in 1994.
Stalkers and Worse
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Agnetha much younger boyfriend in the late 90s did not take their breakup well, and turned into a stalker. After their separation he barraged her with letters and created a shrine in a cabin near her home.
Despite a restraining order, he was caught near her house and deported in 2000.
Agnetha wasn’t the only member of the band with scandal in their life. Anni-Frid, or "Frida," harbors a dark Nazi past — she was the love child of an affair between a Norwegian woman and a Nazi soldier.
Frida also gave birth to a daughter, Ann Lise-Lotte, at 16. But in 1998, Ann, then 30, was killed in a car wreck. A year later, tragedy struck again when Frida’s husband, Prince Ruzzo Reuss, died of cancer.
