Yoko Ono Reflects on Going from ‘Bitch’ to ‘Witch’ After Meeting John Lennon in New Documentary
By Angel Saunders
Published on March 13, 2025, 08:25 PM EDT
Yoko Ono discusses how her social perception changed after meeting her late husband, John Lennon, in the upcoming documentary One to One: John & Yoko. In archival footage featured in the trailer, the 92-year-old artist and musician reflects on the public’s shifting view of her after her marriage to the Beatles legend.
“I was considered a bitch in this society,” Ono says in the teaser. She continues, “Since I met John, I was upgraded into a witch.” These remarks are paired with clips from their time together, where Lennon can be heard expressing his admiration for Ono, saying, “I fell in love with an independent, creative genius. I started waking up.”
The couple’s relationship began in 1966 when Lennon visited Ono’s solo exhibit in London. Their affair soon followed, leading Lennon to leave his first wife, Cynthia Lennon, and their son Julian. The pair married in 1969 and became one of the most talked-about and polarizing couples of their time, continuing to make headlines even after Lennon’s death in 1980.
The documentary also highlights how Ono’s influence pushed Lennon to explore new creative horizons. In the trailer, a journalist asks him why he would perform a concert for free, to which Lennon replies, “To change the apathy that all of you have. Speak to them. Sing to them. And do anything to get them alive again.” The film also showcases their iconic performance of Imagine, with Ono playing the piano as Lennon sings.
Lennon’s 1971 hit Imagine was inspired by concepts from Ono’s 1964 book Grapefruit, a collection of instructional poems. In 2017, Ono was credited as a co-writer for the song.
In a 2024 interview with PEOPLE, their son Sean, now 49, discussed his mother’s spiritual side and jokingly referred to her as a “good witch.” He recalled how his upbringing involved a lot of cosmic practices, such as astrology and tarot cards, which he found difficult to connect with.
One to One: John & Yoko, directed by Sam Rice-Edwards and Kevin Macdonald, also revisits Lennon’s 1972 benefit concert in New York City, which raised $1.5 million for children with special needs at Willowbrook State School.
The documentary will be released in IMAX theaters in the U.K. on April 9 and in the U.S. on April 11, with a wider release to follow.