Billy Idol recently opened up about discovering he had a previously unknown child. He shared candid details about his past lifestyle in an interview with iNews.
The rock icon addressed how he reacted to learning about his secret son. He also reflected on the promiscuous culture of the music industry during his heyday.
Billy Idol responded with surprising candor when asked if finding out he had a child he didn’t know came as a shock to him.
“Maybe a little bit, but the more I thought about it, I guessed there must be something like that,” he said.
The musician then elaborated on the broader context of rock star behavior during that era.
“We were going around in the ’80s and ’70s, just having knockdown, drag-out sex with a million people you didn’t know,” he continued. “A lot of people in the rock world got children beyond their usual relationships.”
The discovery of his secret son represents a significant chapter in Idol’s personal life that remained hidden for decades.
People Magazine revealed that Billy fathered his son Brant Broad during his 1985 Rebel Yell tour. The identity of his son only came to light years later when Idol’s daughter took a DNA test that revealed Brant’s connection to the family.
Hello Magazine documented that Billy warmly welcomed Brant into the family when they finally met. The rock star noted the family resemblance. He observed that Brant shared the same quirky sense of humor as his other children.
“Once I saw Brant with Bonnie and Willem, they’ve all got the same quirky sense of humor,” Idol said. “He’s my son, really.”
News.com.au reported that Brant works in construction, following a similar path to Billy’s own father. He has two children with his wife Teresa. The family made their first public appearance together at Billy’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony in 2023, marking the official acknowledgment of Brant as his son.
