Rock icon Billy Idol finds surprise son from 1985 tour after daughter’s DNA test reveals half-brother
Billy Idol has revealed he wasn’t entirely surprised to learn he had a secret love child, thanks to his infamous rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle during the height of his fame.
The punk icon, now 69, discovered in 2023 that he had fathered a son nearly four decades earlier during his Rebel Hearts tour in 1985. The revelation came through a DNA test his daughter Bonnie Blue took via 23andMe, which flagged a previously unknown half-brother living in New York.
Speaking candidly in an interview with The i Paper, Idol admitted the news didn’t come as a massive shock. “Maybe a little bit,” he chuckled. “But the more I thought about it, I guessed there must be something like that… because we were going around in the 80s and 70s just having knockdown, drag-out sex with a million people you didn’t know.”
He added, laughing, “A lot of people in the rock world have children beyond their usual relationships. I think we would know about them now if there were [more].”
The unexpected family connection is explored in Idol’s new documentary, Billy Idol Should Be Dead, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film offers an intimate look at his life, career, and the many dramatic turns along the way, including this family bombshell.
The son, Brant Broad, now works in construction, just like Idol’s father and uncle once did. According to Idol, the two have formed a bond since meeting.
Embed from Getty Images“We’re quite good friends, and I love him. He’s a nice guy,” the singer said warmly.
Idol first publicly acknowledged Brant in 2023 with an Instagram post. Sharing backstage snaps from a visit at the Kings Theatre, Idol wrote: “Had a lovely visit from my granddaughter McKenzie… also with my son @brant_northridge_broad… also McKenzie started school recently—BFI.”
Despite never having married, Idol has long been a father. He shares son Willem Wolfe Broad, 37, with former Hot Gossip member Perri Lister, and daughter Bonnie Blue Broad, 35, from his relationship with Linda Mathis.
While many fans still remember Idol for his rebellious 80s hits like White Wedding and Rebel Yell, his private life has always been a fascinating chapter of its own. And this latest twist only adds to the legend.
The fact that it took nearly 40 years to discover Brant’s existence might seem astonishing—but perhaps not for a man who admits to having slept with so many people he “didn’t know”. Idol’s honesty about his past behaviour, and his easy acceptance of a newly found son, might raise eyebrows, but it also reflects the chaotic and often unpredictable nature of a life lived at full volume.
What stands out now, though, is the softening of a punk icon once known for snarls and sneers. Idol’s reaction shows a man at peace with his past and open to forging new connections, however unexpected they may be.
As Billy Idol Should Be Dead continues to make waves, it’s clear that the ageing rocker is far from done surprising his audience, both on and off the stage.
