As one of the original members of The Rolling Stones, it’s no surprise that musician Keith Richards has led a legendary life. Aside from being an iconic rock star, Keith is also a proud father to his five children: Marlon, Angela, Tara, Theodora and Alexandra.
In the 1970s, Keith welcomed his first three kids with model Anita Pallenberg: sons Marlon and Tara and daughter Angela. A few years after his relationship with Pallenberg ended, Keith married model Patti Hansen and the couple welcomed two daughters: Theodora and Alexandra.
Marlon worked with filmmakers Alexis Bloom and Svetlana Zill to create a documentary called Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg to tell the story of his mother’s life, which is in theaters May 3, 2024. He was inspired by a manuscript and secretly recorded interviews that Pallenberg had hidden in her home to tell the story of her life, found by his children, Ella and Orson, while the family was going through her things after her 2017 death.
“I had to sit down and have a bottle of wine. It was revelatory. She said things I had no idea about,” Marlon told PEOPLE.
Keith hasn’t spoken extensively about his children, but some are more drawn to the spotlight than others. His oldest kids, Marlon and Angela, live more private lives, while his youngest ones, Theodora and Alexandra, are the most well-known, having pursued careers in the entertainment industry. Unfortunately, his son, Tara, died at just 2 months old.
“I love my families,” Keith told the Daily Mail in 2010. “I have several — extended. And they all love each other. I’m extremely blessed with my ladies who all, thank God, get along.”
In December 2022, Keith and Hansen celebrated 39 years of marriage. Theodora wrote about their love in a post on her Instagram: “I am so proud of this family. We’ve been through a lot but the love is so strong and powerful that it carries us forever forward on a cloud of compassion and courage. I love you mom and dad. You guys are my inspiration.”
Here’s everything to know about Keith Richards’ children: Marlon, Angela, Tara, Theodora and Alexandra.
Keith and Pallenberg’s older son, Marlon Leon Sundeep Richards, was born on Aug. 10, 1969, amid The Rolling Stones’ rise to fame. His upbringing was anything but traditional as he grew up on tour with Keith, Pallenberg and the band.
“Of course it was hard on him,” Keith told GQ of Marlon’s childhood. In 2017, Pallenberg spoke about those years with journalist Alain Elkann. “We were on the road a lot, traveling on tour, and I took my son everywhere,” she said. “I did not send Marlon to school until he was 8 years old. I taught him how to read and write while Keith’s mother looked after my daughter.”
In 1992, Marlon met model Lucie de la Falaise on a blind date arranged by Pallenberg, who noticed de la Falaise on the cover of Vogue Italia, according to Tatler. The two got married in 1994 and have three children: Ella Rose, Orson and Ida Violet. In 2010, the Daily Mail reported that Marlon lived in a farmhouse in England and worked as a gallery curator, graphic artist and photographer.
“It’s amazing what kids can adapt to. It all comes out in the wash,” Keith told GQ. “And anyway, we didn’t really do anything that wrong. I mean, he could have grown up the son of health-nut freaks.”
Marlon’s daughter Ella is a model who has been photographed alongside other famous kids, like Kate Moss’ daughter, Lila Moss. In 2012, Ella told Teen Vogue she shared clothes with her mom, but her father had “some really nice cashmere sweaters” she also liked to borrow.
In a 2014 interview with The Times, Keith spoke about Marlon and reflected on his parenting. “He’s bringing up his own kids in a very secure way, hands-on all the time because he never got that,” he said.
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