Rod Stewart shares heartbreak over split from ‘too young’ wife Rachel Hunter: ‘It tore me apart’
Rocker Rod has been married three times
4 Jul 2025, 10:45Updated:4 Jul 2025, 11:06
Tags: Entertainment, Rod Stewart
Sir Rod Stewart has opened up about his split from his second wife Rachel Hunter.
Father-of-eight Rod, now 80, and Rachel, now 55, tied the knot 1990 and announced their separation in 1999. Their divorce was finalised in 2006. And the split is something Rod has now said ‘tore him apart’.
Following their split, he tied the knot with current wife Penny Lancaster, 54.
Rod Stewart on split from wife Rachel Hunter
In a new interview with The Times, Rod has revealed that his split from Rachel “tore him to shreds”.
Rod and Rachel first met at an LA nightclub. Rachel was 21 years old at the time. There was a 24-year age gap between them. After their first meeting, he sent two dozen roses to her management company. Their romance blossomed from there.
The couple tied the knot in 1990 and welcomed two children together – Renee and Liam. However, after nine years together, they split.
In his 2012 autobiography, he said: “There was a connection straight away. She was extremely beautiful, but there was something no-nonsense about her as well. It was there in her New Zealand accent, but also in her face, which was open and smart. Not only was she as far removed as could be from the stereotype of the flaky model, but she already had money and fame,” he continued.
“That was a relief. In my position, that suspicion was always there: does this woman really like me, or just the stuff that surrounds me?”
‘It tore me to shreds’
Rod made a rare comment about their marriage during a recent interview with The Times. In it, he admitted that the couple’s 24-year age gap did play a part in their eventual split.
Rachel left me because she was too young — my sister said I should never have married her in the first place.
“Rachel left me because she was too young — my sister said I should never have married her in the first place — but it tore me to shreds,” he told the publication.
He then went on to reveal that the only reason it took him six months to begin dating Penny after his split was because his friend refused to hand over her phone number.
“[Bleep]ing right. There were six months between Rachel and Penny because my bass player, who had Penny’s number, wouldn’t give it to me. He said: ‘All you’re going to do now is [bleep] around,’ and he was right: I had a splendid time in those six months,” he then added.
Rod and Penny going strong
Penny was 28 when she first met the rocker – and is 27 years younger his junior. He previously admitted the early days of his relationship were “difficult” on his family. He explained that his siblings were initially “suspicious” and didn’t want a repeat of his split from Rachel.
However, their relationship went from strength to strength, and in 2007 they tied the knot. The couple share two children, Alastair and Aiden, and are on good terms with Rachel and Rod’s first wife, Alana.
