BRIAN WILSON is best known for being a founding member of The Beach Boys.
Over the years, the legendary rock star has been married twice and has seven children.
Who are Brian Wilson’s kids?
Brian Wilson’s first marriage was to Marilyn Rovell and resulted in two daughters.
The first-born, Carnie Wilson, was born in 1968.
She is an actress and composer, known for the movies Bridesmaids, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, and Whip It.
She has been married to composer Rob Bonfiglio since June 23, 2000, and they share two children.
Wendy Wilson is Wilson and Rovell’s second child. She was born in 1969 and is a singer and songwriter.
Both daughters are members of the pop trio Wilson Phillips, along with their childhood friend Chynna Phillips, who is the daughter of the Mamas & the Papas band members John and Michelle Phillips.
After his marriage with Marilyn ended in divorce in 1979, Wilson married Melinda Ledbetter in 1995.
The couple adopted five children together; Dakota Rose, Daria Rose, Delanie Rose, Dylan, and Dash.
Despite high-profile parents, Wilson’s adopted children mostly stay out of the spotlight.
Who is Brian Wilson?
Many consider Brian Wilson to be a genius composer of popular music.
He first gained mainstream recognition for being a founding member of The Beach Boys.
While in the critically acclaimed group, Wilson wrote over twenty Top 40 hits and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
The nine-time Grammy winner has also been romantically linked to Linda Rondstadt.
Who was Brian Wilson’s wife, Melinda Ledbetter?
Brian Wilson was married to Melinda Ledbetter from 1995 until she died in 2024.
He announced her death on January 30, 2024, in a heartfelt statement to his social media followers.
“My heart is broken. Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning,” he began.
“Our five children and I are just in tears. We are lost. Melinda was more than my wife,” he continued.
She was my savior. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career.”
“She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor. She was everything for us.”
“She was a force of nature and one of the strongest women you could come by.”
Wilson struggled with mental illness and a complicated relationship with his former therapist and legal guardian Dr. Eugene Landy.
Melinda often gets credited with helping Wilson throughout that situation.
In 1991, his brother, mother, and daughters successfully sued Landy, and he was barred from contacting his famous client in 1992.
In 2014, a biopic called Love and Mercy was released about the couple’s relationship and the toxic relationship with his controlling therapist.
The movie follows Brian’s journey with mental illness and how Melinda helped him get out of his therapist’s grasp.
Melinda was 77 years old at the time of her death.
