Below is the complete article
WHEN A MARRIAGE ENDS, ADULTS MAY SIGN THE PAPERS — BUT CHILDREN ARE OFTEN THE ONES LEFT WONDERING WHERE “HOME” WILL BE. 💔
When Agnetha Fältskog and Björn Ulvaeus ended their marriage in 1979, the breakup was more than the separation of two members of ABBA. Behind the glamorous photographs, international tours, and songs heard by millions were two young children whose lives were suddenly changing: Linda Ulvaeus, born in 1973, and Peter Christian Ulvaeus, born in 1977.
For fans, one question has lingered for decades: Were Linda and Peter allowed to choose which parent they wanted to live with?
The story is more complicated—and more human—than a simple choice between mother and father.
Agnetha and Björn married in July 1971, before ABBA became one of the biggest pop groups on Earth. Linda arrived two years later, and Peter followed four years after that. By the time their marriage began falling apart, their family was living under extraordinary pressure. ABBA’s success meant recording sessions, television appearances, tours, interviews, and constant public attention.
Their divorce became final in 1980, but both Agnetha and Björn repeatedly tried to present their separation as civilized rather than a bitter public war.
There is no strong, widely documented evidence that Linda and Peter were formally told to choose one parent over the other. In fact, such a dramatic “Who do you want to live with—Mom or Dad?” moment appears to be more a product of later curiosity than an established part of the family’s history.
The children were very young when their parents separated. Linda was around five or six when the marriage ended, while Peter was only about two. That alone makes the idea of both children independently making a permanent choice between their parents unlikely.
Instead, accounts of the family generally describe Agnetha and Björn as sharing responsibility for their children after the divorce. Agnetha remained deeply involved in their daily lives, while Björn continued to be an important and present father.
This mattered enormously to Agnetha.
At the height of ABBA’s fame, she had already spoken about how difficult it could be to leave her children behind while touring. The conflict between being an international superstar and being a mother weighed heavily on her. The screaming crowds and dazzling stage lights represented success—but they also meant time away from Linda and Peter.
That emotional tension helps explain why Agnetha increasingly valued privacy and family life as ABBA’s most intense years began to fade.
Björn’s life also moved forward. He later married Lena Källersjö in 1981 and had two more daughters, Emma and Anna. Yet Linda and Peter remained part of his life, meaning the divorce did not erase their relationship with their father.
Perhaps that is the most important part of the story.
Linda and Peter did not have to “lose” one parent simply because their parents could no longer remain husband and wife.
Divorce inevitably changes a family. Birthdays become different. Holidays require new arrangements. The house that once contained everyone under one roof becomes two separate worlds. For children, those changes can be far more important than anything written in legal documents.
And in the case of Agnetha and Björn, there was another extraordinary complication: their parents still had to work together.
Imagine being divorced—and then walking into a recording studio to sing songs about heartbreak beside the person you had just separated from.
That was the strange reality surrounding ABBA.
Songs such as “The Winner Takes It All” would later cause listeners to connect the group’s music directly to Agnetha and Björn’s divorce. Björn has explained that the song was not a literal account of their breakup, but with Agnetha singing those devastating words, separating art from reality became almost impossible for audiences.
Behind all of it, however, were Linda and Peter.
They were not characters in an ABBA song. They were two children growing up while their parents tried to navigate divorce, fame, new relationships, and continued professional collaboration.
So, did Agnetha and Björn simply let Linda and Peter choose whom they wanted to live with?
The available public record does not support that simplified version of events. Rather than forcing their very young children into an either-or decision, Agnetha and Björn appear to have remained committed to co-parenting and keeping both parents in their children’s lives.
And perhaps that tells us something important about the story behind ABBA.
The marriage ended.
The music eventually stopped.
