Love, Marriage, And Rock & Roll: Rock Stars Who Married Actresses
In Hollywood, actors and rock stars seem to flock to one another. Some of them even wind up getting married and end up basking in the drama, backstage passes, and the stardom that comes with marrying a legend.
From the whirlwind romance of Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson to the on-again-off-again relationship between Paul Simon and Carrie Fisher, here are some actors who fell for a rock star.
Tommy Lee & Heather Locklear
When it came to the relationship between Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee and actress Heather Locklear, the public was very confused. He was this tattooed party animal, and she was an all-American girl starring in shows such as Dynasty and Melrose Place. But, as the age-old saying goes, opposites attract.
First meeting backstage at an REO Speedwagon concert, it only took a year for Lee to propose. The rock star and actress said "I do" on May 10, 1986. But Lee's on-the-road partying lifestyle got to be too much for Locklear to handle, and the two divorced in 1993.
Eddie Van Halen & Valerie Bertinelli
Valeria Bertinelli was a prime-time sweetheart in the 80s, starring in the sitcom One Day at a Time. A fan of the rock band Van Halen, Bertinelli used her fame to get backstage during a concert. There, she met her future husband, Eddie Van Halen, and their relationship was a rollercoaster ride for the next decade.
The two married only eight months after their initial meeting, on April 11, 1981. And while they had their spats, close friends said they were the perfect match. Unfortunately, their marriage couldn't overcome Eddie's personal issues, and they separated in 2001, followed by a divorce in 2007.
Billy Joel & Christie Brinkley
The "Piano Man" Billy Joel met National Lampoon's Vacation actress Christie Brinkley while vacationing in St. Barts in 1983. Both were already divorced from their first marriage and weren't looking for anything, but, ultimately, sparks flew between the actress and rock star when, of course, he began playing the piano at a bar.
They dated for two years before marrying in 1985 in New York Harbor while aboard a 147-foot yacht. Only a rock star could pull off such an extravagant wedding! That year, they welcomed a daughter to their small family. But with Joel's touring schedule and Brinkley wanting to move out west, they divorced.
Gregg Allman & Cher
The "Goddess of Pop" and a southern rock star was the last pairing people thought would happen. But Cher and Gregg Allman had some real love between them when they got married three days after her divorce from Sonny in 1975.
Known at the time for her comedy sketches on The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, Allman said he was mesmerized by the actress and singer upon their initial meeting. "[Cher] smelled like I would imagine a mermaid would smell—I've never smelled it since, and I'll never forget it," Allman wrote in his memoir. They were married for three years until 1978 when their divorce was finalized.
Ringo Starr & Barbara Bach
Who would have thought that a Beatle would wind up marrying a Bond Girl? Well, that's exactly what happened in 1981, when Ringo Starr married The Spy Who Loved Me star Barbara Bach. Sparks flew between the two met when on the set of the horrendous film Caveman in 1980.
Through ups and downs, this rock star and actress duo made it through some very rough patches. But they stuck through it all and have been happily married since their Marylebone Town Hall civil union in 1981.
Paul Simon & Carrie Fisher
One of the most hectic relationships between a rock star and an actress was between Simon & Garfunkel's Paul Simon and Star Wars star Carrie Fisher. The two met while she was filming the first movie of the franchise, and he was riding the wave of the duo's 60s fame. They hit it off and began dating.
The rock star and actress were married for a solid year, from 1983-1984. But after their divorce, the two had a very long on-again-off-again relationship, almost 12 years! While their relationship didn't last, Simon immortalized their time together in the songs "Heart and Bones" and "She Moves On."
Richie Sambora & Heather Locklear
Actress Heather Locklear clearly has a type, as she bounced from one rock star to another within a year of her divorce from Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee. In 1994, a mutual friend introduced the Melrose Place actress to Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora. While they hit it off, the long-distance was rough on them.
Even so, the pair got married that same year in Paris. But their relationship continued to be rocky, and their divorce was finalized in 2007, ten years after the birth of their daughter, Ava. The good news is that the couple is still on good terms.
Kid Rock & Pamela Anderson
With their wild ways, it seemed as though the relationship between Kid Rock and Baywatch star Pamela Anderson was a match made in rock star heaven. But, historically speaking, partying and spontaneous relationships never really end well. And Kid Rock and Anderson aren't an exception.
After one failed engagement in 2002, the pair gave it another go a few years later. They wed in their swimsuits aboard a yacht in Saint-Tropez in 2006. With all of the media coverage, one would think they'd try to make it last. False. They divorced less than four months later in an oh-so rock star fashion.
Benji Madden & Cameron Diaz
Fans of Cameron Diaz were shocked when the actress began dating Good Charlotte's lead guitarist Benji Madden. She was blonde and sun-kissed, and he was covered in tattoos. But, at the end of the day, Nicole Richie setting them up in 2014 was one of the best things to happen to the couple.
Ten months after their initial meeting, the pair tied the knot in Beverly Hills, California. While the couple is notoriously private about their lives, they did announce the birth of a daughter in 2019!
Nikki Sixx & Donna D'Errico
In the late 90s, Baywatch star Donna D'Errico was set up with Mötley Crüe co-founder Nikki Sixx. The two hit it off and wound up getting hitched in 1996. But, the relationship wasn't all love and rock and roll; there were definitely some speedbumps along the way, which resulted in their 2007 divorce.
According to D'Errico, people would say, "Well, what does she expect? She married a rockstar. She should've gone in knowing this was going to happen." Well, apparently, after 11 years of Sixx's rock star lifestyle, the actress had enough. The fact that it took 11 years, though, says something.
Lenny Kravitz & Lisa Bonet
In 1985, musician Lenny Kravitz met a young Lisa Bonet backstage during a New Edition concert. The "Cosby kid" and singer were good friends for two years before Kravitz finally made his move, packing up and moving his life to New York to move in with the actress.
On Bonet's 20th birthday, they eloped in Las Vegas, and a year later, their daughter, Zoe, was born. Unfortunately, their young love didn't last, and Kravitz and Bonet separated in 1991 before officially divorcing in 1993. Through the years, the two stars have remained close friends.
Joel Madden & Nicole Richie
Television personality Nicole Richie grew up around rock stars. Her father is Lionel Richie, for crying out loud! It only made sense that she would gravitate towards another rock star. In this case, it was Good Charlotte lead singer Joel Madden. The two began their romance in 2006.
And after having a daughter in 2008 and a son in 2009, the couple decided it was finally time to tie the knot. In 2010, Richie walked down the aisle, and she and Madden said "I do" in a Los Angeles-based wedding ceremony.
Chris Robinson & Kate Hudson
Actress Kate Hudson and The Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson wasted no time in their relationship. Only days after meeting at a New York party in 2000, the singer packed up and moved in with Hudson. Nothing like a little spontaneity to get a relationship started!
And their "go, go, go" mentality didn't stop there. The Almost Famous actress and Robinson wound up saying "I do" by the end of the year. But their whirlwind romance didn't last, and they ended up finalizing their divorce in 2007. Honestly, with the way their relationship started, seven years isn't too shabby!
John Mellencamp & Meg Ryan
Grammy Award-winning musician John Mellencamp landed 80s rom-con star Meg Ryan after his divorce from fashion model Elaine Irwin in 2011. But their relationship was never easy. A source even told People that they had a "volatile relationship from the beginning." Which makes sense, considering they were on-again-and-off-again for years before their 2017 engagement.
But the couple never made it down the aisle. A year after Mellencamp put a ring on Ryan's finger, they split up. According to a source, "[Mellencamp] didn't want to get married again." Maybe he should have thought about that before proposing to the actress?
Jessica Biel & Justin Timberlake
Actress Jessica Biel met singer Justin Timberlake in 2007, during a birthday party the former N*SYNC frontman was throwing. After their first date, they were both hooked. But it didn't last, the pair broke off for a minute in 2011 before reuniting and getting engaged. Talk about moving fast after a breakup!
Even so, the pair got married in a romantic ceremony in Southern Italy with Timberlake playing the guitar as his soon-to-be wife walked down the aisle. Swoon. The actress and rock star have been married since that 2012 ceremony and have two children together.
Kate Hudson & Matt Bellamy
After her divorce from Chris Robinson, actress Kate Hudson made moves. In 2010, she began dating Muse singer Matt Bellamy. Hey, the lady has a type, and that type just happens to be rock stars! A year later, in 2011, Bellamy proposed to the Almost Famous star.
After a very long engagement and the birth of their son, Bingham Hawn Bellamy, the pair called it quits. Ending their engagement in 2014. According to the actress, they decided to split up and end their engagement because they "didn't have a great relationship." As far as reasons go, that's a pretty good one.
Josh Kelley & Katherine Heigl
Musician Josh Kelley met his future wife, actress Katherine Heigl, in the most rock star way imaginable -- on the set of his music video "Only You." Heigl was the lead in the video and from there the rest, as they say, was history. The two began dating in 2005 and became engaged one year later.
It was a winter wedding in December when the actress and rock star tied the knot at the Stein Eriksen Lodge in Park City, Utah. As of 2021, the couple is still happily married and living with their three kids in Oakley, Utah.
Chris Martin & Gwyneth Paltrow
Every great love story starts when an actress meets the lead singer of a popular rock band backstage at their own concert, right? Well, it did for Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin. At least, it did for a little while.
The two met in 2002 and tied the knot only a year later. And this couple just kept going. The following year they welcomed their daughter, Apple. Skipping at least one year, in 2006, they had their son, Moses. But after 10 years of marriage, Martin and Paltrow went their separate ways, finalizing their divorce in 2016.
Neil Young & Daryl Hannah
After his 36-year marriage didn't work out, Neil Young of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young decided met actress Daryl Hannah. They were both working on a Greenpeace documentary, driving around in Young's 1959 Lincoln, when sparks began to fly. It was 2014 at the time.
It took four more years for the two to tie the knot. Eventually, they said "I do" in a secret wedding ceremony aboard a yacht named the W.G. Ragland. As of 2021, the rock star and actress are still happily married.
Dave Grohl and Jordyn Blum
Foo Fighters frontman and former drummer for Nirvana, Dave Grohl has been performing on stage since he was 17 years old. He's also directed several of Foo Fighters' music videos, and married a director, too! Grohl's second wife is director Jordyn Blum. (She's also a producer and a former model!)
The couple met at the Sunset Marquis Whiskey Bar in West Hollywood in 2001 and married in 2003.
