Kylie Minogue has offered a tender glimpse into a love long past, sharing a heartfelt tribute to her late former partner Michael Hutchence on what would have been his birthday.
The Australian pop icon, now 57, posted a throwback photo of herself with the INXS frontman on Instagram on January 22, marking the occasion quietly but poignantly with her millions of followers. Captioned simply, “🤍Selfie mode🤍,” the image shows the pair in a close embrace, dressed in matching black outfits in what appears to be a hotel room – Hutchence’s arm wrapped protectively around Minogue.
It was a small gesture, but one that resonated deeply.
Fans flooded the comments with messages of love and nostalgia, praising Minogue for honouring the memory of the rocker more than 25 years after his death. “Happy birthday Michael and what a sweet way to celebrate him,” one follower wrote, while another reflected on the passage of time, calling the image a reminder of “such a loooooooong time ago”.
Minogue and Hutchence were one of Australia’s most talked-about couples during their romance from 1989 to 1991, a relationship that captured the public imagination and unfolded under an intense media spotlight. She, the polished pop princess. He, the magnetic, restless rock star.
Hutchence later went on to date model Helena Christensen and then British presenter Paula Yates. He died in Sydney in November 1997 at just 37 years old, leaving behind an extraordinary musical legacy, including INXS classics such as Never Tear Us Apart.
In the years since, Minogue has spoken candidly about the profound impact Hutchence had on her life. In the 2019 documentary Mystify: Michael Hutchence, she described him as a man driven by boundless curiosity and appetite for life.
“Sex, love, food, drugs, music, travel, books – you name it, he wanted to experience it,” she said. “He was a dark bad boy and I was the pure good girl,” Minogue reflected, adding that their connection felt “loving, yet sad”, and perhaps always destined to be fleeting.
Minogue herself has had several high-profile relationships, including romances with Olivier Martinez and Jason Donovan, but her latest tribute suggests that some loves, no matter how brief or complicated, never entirely fade.
Image: Instagram
