Billy Idol revealed that he was not at all surprised to discover he had fathered a secret child, admitting in a recent interview that it made sense with his rockstar lifestyle in the ’70s and ’80s.
The “White Wedding” singer opened up about finding out about his son in an interview with iNews, sharing that it was all thanks to his daughter taking a DNA test and discovering the existence of her half-brother.
Expanding the family
Billy explained that while he was “maybe a little bit” shocked when he first heard the news, “the more I thought about it, I guessed there must be something like that”.
“A lot of people in the rock world got children beyond their usual relationships,” he admitted, before laughing over the possibility of having more secret children out there.
“I think we would know about them now if there were,” he quipped.
© Michael Ochs ArchivesBilly fathered his son Brand Broad during his Rebel Yell tour in 1985, and finally met him decades later after his daughter’s DNA test revealed Brand’s identity.
He works in construction, just like Billy’s father, and the pair have bonded over their surprising similarities. “We’re quite good friends, and I love him. He’s a nice guy,” the singer told iNews.
He added that he was now in a “better place in my life“, and “can really be there” for his children and grandchildren in his twilight years.
A devoted dad
© Getty ImagesBilly’s relationship with his son Brand is explored in his documentary Billy Idol Should Be Dead, and the star revealed that he couldn’t have been happier to welcome his eldest into the family.
“I really enjoyed being a dad. I always wanted a boy and a girl, and I finagled my way into a boy and a girl. In your own daft way, you’ve achieved what you set out to do,” he said in the documentary. “And I actually had a son that I didn’t realize, who I fathered on the Rebel Yell tour without knowing it. So I somehow finagled this as well.”
“Once I saw Brant with [my kids] Bonnie and Willem, they’ve all got the same quirky sense of humor,” he added. “And once I saw that, I could see he’s my son, really.”
© Getty ImagesBilly is also a proud dad to his son Willem, 37, whom he welcomed with Hot Gossip star Perri Lister, and his daughter Bonnie, 35, whom he shares with his ex-partner Linda Mathis. The 69-year-old first posted about his son on Instagram in 2023, sharing a sweet picture of the pair backstage.
“Had a lovely visit from my granddaughter McKenzie backstage at the kings theatre yesterday… also with my son @brant_northridge_broad… also McKenzie started school recently-BFI,” he wrote.
Brant has two children with his wife Teresa: Mackenzie, five, and Mason, two. His family joined Billy at the rocker’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in January 2023, marking the first time that Billy acknowledged Brant as his son.
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