English author Sophie Kinsella (real name: Madeleine Sophie Wickham), whose books inspired the 2009 film Confessions of a Shopaholic starring Isla Fisher, died on December 10, 2025. She was 55. Her death was announced in an Instagram post shared to her account that day.
“We are heartbroken to announce the passing this morning of our beloved Sophie (aka Maddy, aka Mummy),” the caption read. “She died peacefully, with her final days filled with her true loves: family and music and warmth and Christmas and joy.”
The post continued, ‘We can’t imagine what life will be like without her radiance and love of life. Despite her illness, which she bore with unimaginable courage, Sophie counted herself truly blessed – to have such wonderful family and friends, and to have had the extraordinary success of her writing career. She took nothing for granted and was forever grateful for the love she received.”
Learn more about Kinsella, her published works and her death below.
Did Sophie Kinsella Write Confessions of a Shopaholic?
Kinsella was the brains behind the Shopaholic book series, which was adapted into the hit film known as Confessions of a Shopaholic. She published the following works:
- The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic (also published under Confessions of a Shopaholic)
- Shopaholic Abroad (also published as Shopaholic Takes Manhattan)
- Shopaholic Ties the Knot
- Shopaholic & Sister
- Shopaholic & Baby
- Mini Shopaholic
- Shopaholic on Honeymoon
- Shopaholic to the Stars
- Shopaholic to the Rescue
- Christmas Shopaholic
How Did Sophie Kinsella Die? Her Cause of Death Explained
Kinsella died following a battle with glioblastoma. She revealed her diagnosis with grade 4 glioblastoma in 2024.
Sophie Kinsella’s Health: What Is Glioblastoma?
Glioblastoma is a common and aggressive form of brain cancer that begins as a growth of cells on the brain or the spinal cord and mostly affects adults.
Kinsella was diagnosed with the disease in 2022 but waited two years to reveal it. During a July 2024 interview on Good Morning America, the late writer explained the first signs of her illness.
“The first symptoms that I had was … my legs. I was stumbling, I was tripping,” she explained. “I started getting very severe headaches. I got very confused. But it was really when I started tipping over in my chair that we realized something really was wrong.”
After going to the hospital, a brain scan confirmed that Kinsella had a grade 4 glioblastoma brain tumor. She underwent surgery days later.
“It was an eight-hour operation,” Kinsella said. “They found the tumor, and they got it all out as much as they could see. … You have to take your triumphs where you can. And the surgery was a triumph.”
However, she subsequently suffered from memory loss and underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
