Singer John Legend avoids writing sad songs over fears the lyrics will spark rumours of a split from his model wife Chrissy Teigen.

The soul star married the brunette pin-up in Italy last year (13) and they have been together nearly a decade, but Legend worries that fans will get the wrong idea about his relationship if he writes a break-up anthem.

He tells Britain's Daily Star newspaper, "If I write about relationships gone bad in the future, I worry that people will think my marriage has gone bad. Everyone is so focused on my relationship with my wife after writing a really romantic album, and it's interesting to see if people will read things into everything I write. I got known for writing about men who cheat on my first album Get Lifted in 2004 - and my fans won't always want me to be so lovey-dovey in every song."