Models Who Got Together With Famous Musicians
The following article includes brief mentions of drug addiction.
Music stars and supermodels, a pairing as classic as peanut butter and jelly or mac and cheese, and certainly just as spicily delicious for gossip columnists and red-carpet watchers alike throughout the decades. What famous rock star doesn't want a world-class beauty on their arm, and what runway-strutting stunner can pass up a smokin' hot jukebox hero? The popular musician and supermodel relationship axis has always yielded considerable career benefits for all involved, as well as provided many a drama-hungry journalist with a well-earned byline.
Of course, it's a cliché as well-worn as the most threadbare red carpet, but as long as there are gorgeous and talented people, they're gonna be hooking and breaking up for us regular folks' gossipy pleasure. And true, it's an obvious (and possibly publicist-arranged) power move to boost one's middling career into the stratosphere. Chrissy Teigen, for example, admittedly got a boost from her longtime romance with John Legend. However, these romances can also be volatile and short-lived — just because you can rip a sweet guitar solo or look gorgeous in Prada doesn't mean you're geared for life-long monogamy. But you can also get seriously deep connections that last even beyond the passing of one of the partners, as Iman can relate regarding her Starman soulmate, the late David Bowie.
Put down that air guitar and put on your designer reading specs to take a closer look at some of the most notable model pairings with popular musicians.
Chrissy Teigen definitely saved room for John Legend's love
Model and media personality Chrissy Teigen has served up plenty of headlines of her own accord over the years, but she's definitely saved room for musician John Legend's love in her life. She first got with Legend after starring in his 2006 music video for "Stereo." While Teigen divulged to Cosmopolitan that she thinks her performance in "Stereo" is cringe-worthy, the pair's off-screen chemistry was undeniable. They chowed down on In-N-Out after getting to know each other during the taping (no reports on whether or not they indulged in an Animal Style order that night) and admittedly hooked up afterward.
Per Brides, the couple married in 2013 on Italy's beautiful Lake Como. For her part, Teigen has acknowledged the benefits her career received from being linked to one of music's hottest stars. She told Cosmopolitan, "I got so lucky that I met John, who propelled my career. I'm not delusional: that definitely helped. But I don't want to be thought of as just John's wife, so I'm trying to make a name without it, which is hard in its own way."
But whether it's being a Sports Illustrated model, hosting television shows like "Lip Sync Battle," or running her food-centric lifestyle brand Cravings, she's since proven to be a force on her own. Throughout her many personal and professional ups and downs, including pregnancy loss, publicly facing her cyberbullying past, and the drama between herself and food personality Alison Roman, Teigen and Legend have stuck together.
Bella Hadid's on-again, off-again love with The Weeknd
Bella Hadid and The Weeknd's on-and-off relationship started in 2015. Hadid's modeling career was just taking off when sources dished to E! News about her budding relationship with the singer, telling the outlet that they were seriously flirting at Coachella. Later that year, Hadid steamed up the screen with The Weeknd in the video for his song "In the Night," and soon they were hitting up red carpets together, like at the Grammys and the Met Gala. Hadid (and her fellow famous family members) was never shy about sharing intimate relationship moments on Instagram, posting everything from their fun global travel to birthday celebrations.
But the couple's fun times soon came to a halt. Sources confirmed to People that the two broke up in 2016, citing scheduling conflicts for the split. Mere weeks after their breakup was publicly announced, they kept things professional at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, with Hadid strutting down the catwalk while The Weeknd gave a musical performance, per Glamour.
In 2017, it seemed their feelings were still very much there and soon the couple reunited, with their relationship rumored to have served as a muse for The Weeknd's music. Many have speculated, for example, that The Weeknd's "Lost in the Fire" includes allusions to his romance with Hadid. The song heated up the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but Hadid and The Weeknd's romance flamed out once more. In 2019, E! News reported that the couple had called it quits again.
Gigi Hadid has a thing for pop stars
Over the years, Gigi Hadid has gotten together with several musical heartthrobs. Her first musician relationship started in 2013 with Australian singer and swimmer Cody Simpson. Simpson told Us Weekly that he and Hadid packed on the PDA while filming the video for his song "Surfboard" the following year. Hadid and Simpson called it quits in 2015, but that same year, she moved on to date friend Joe Jonas. She even co-directed the video for DNCE's hit "Cake by the Ocean," but the "G.I. Joe" era was brief. People reported they amicably ended their relationship after less than a year together.
Hadid's love life heated up when she got together with One Direction alum Zayn Malik. First spotted spending time together by E! News in late 2015, Hadid and Malik were soon mixing business with pleasure. In 2016, Hadid starred in Malik's video for "Pillow Talk" and the following year, the couple struck a romantic pose for the August cover of Vogue. They called things off in 2018, with Malik posting a heart-felt statement on Twitter about their split; however, by early 2020, photos surfaced showing Hadid and Malik were seemingly back on. And indeed, not only were they together again, but they welcomed their daughter, Khai, later that year, introducing her to the world via Instagram.
But in 2021, People reported the couple broke up yet again after the fallout of an alleged confrontation between Malik and Gigi's mom, fellow model Yolanda Hadid.
Iman's fated relationship with David Bowie
Supermodel Iman's relationship with rock legend David Bowie is a romance for the ages. According to The New York Times, Iman was 36 and Bowie was 45 when they tied the knot in 1992. Both had children from previous relationships and successful careers in their respective fields. While it seemed like they were well on their life paths, in an interview with British Vogue, Iman shared that her meeting with Bowie was fated. A fan of Bowie, she went to his New York City shows, but never took up invitations to meet him backstage. They were finally set up on a blind date while in Los Angeles, and she said of their meeting, "I think if we had gotten together sooner, we would not have happened. That was God or destiny trying to say, 'Err, no, you guys are not ready.'"
Iman and Bowie looked at their love as a true partnership. In 2021, she told The New York Times of their convictions, "I know my identity, and David knew his," adding, "When we met, we agreed on living life with a purpose." The intensely private couple settled in the Catskills region of upstate New York with their daughter, Lexi. While Bowie sadly died in 2016 from liver cancer, their relationship is hardly done. Iman told Hoda Kotb on SiriusXM in October 2022 that she very often thinks about Bowie. "He's not my late husband, he's my husband," she explained. "And he'll always be."
Karen Elson and Jack White consciously uncoupled before it was cool
Edgy model Karen Elson and rocker Jack White were inadvertent trendsetters with their unorthodox relationship. The pair met in 2005 on the set of The White Stripes' music video for "Blue Orchid." According to The Guardian, Elson and White eloped not long after in the Amazonian jungle and later had two children together, but ultimately decided to end their union in 2011 — marking the occasion in a pretty unconventional way. Turns out Elson and White were way ahead of Gwyneth Paltrow and her former husband, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who infamously labeled their divorce as a "conscious uncoupling" in 2014. Per Pitchfork, Elson and White threw themselves a divorce party, and a statement from the couple heralded it as "an evening together in Nashville to reaffirm our friendship and celebrate the past and future with close friends and family."
However, the love between the former couple was short-lived. In 2013, People reported Elson was given a restraining order against White during a custody dispute. That said, the pair eventually settled into a healthy co-parenting relationship. In January 2022, Elson told Harper's Bazaar, "We first tried to do the Goopy conscious-uncoupling thing. That all fell on its head, but now I can wholeheartedly say that my ex-husband is a dear friend and someone I love. I look at him and think, 'You're my family.'"
Heidi Klum's love of love with Seal and Tom Kaulitz
Heidi Klum might be best known as a globetrotting supermodel and TV star, but she's also just a gal who loves love, especially with famous musicians. Per Today, after a romantic proposal atop a massive glacier, Klum married singer Seal in Mexico in 2005. Over the years, the couple gained notoriety for their over-the-top vow renewal habit. Their ceremonies included a '60s- and '70s-themed party complete with Seal donning a mullet wig and a masquerade event, but these extravagant displays of affection couldn't keep these two together, and they split in 2012. In 2021, Klum told The Times, "I think I got married eight times to Seal. I thought it would be kind of, like, fun. I thought it would be a fest of love. But you know, that doesn't work either."
Klum found herself in another music-tinged relationship when she found love with Tokio Hotel guitarist Tom Kaulitz. The pair got hitched in 2019, and she told E! News' "Daily Pop" of her rocker beau, "I just know him so well. We just gel really well. I just feel like, 'Finally, I found the one.' So far so good. I hope it stays that way." Klum and Kaulitz might not be renewing their vows on the regular, but the couple makes room for plenty of whimsy in their life. Klum frequently shares their fun on Instagram, posing pictures of their Disneyland adventures, sweet trips to Italy, and spicy date nights.
Cara Delevingne's artistic tryst with St. Vincent
Model and actor Cara Delevingne's relationship with musician St. Vincent produced some pretty sweet melodies. Before St. Vincent, Delevingne was casually linked to popsters Jake Bugg and Harry Styles, but her time with the indie pop-rocker proved more lasting. The couple dated for over a year, but split in 2016. Sources at The Sun claimed the pair broke up due to difficulties navigating their long-distance relationship. Outside of this, neither Delevingne nor St. Vincent have publicly divulged further the reasons for their breakup. While together, they both appeared in a Marc Jacobs' Fall 2016 campaign video, and Delevingne's vocals were even featured on St. Vincent's track "Pills" from the album "Masseducation," which didn't drop until after they called it quits.
While Delevingne stays mostly mum about her time with St. Vincent, the musician herself has been more open about their time together. Talking with The Telegraph in 2018, St. Vincent said of dating one of the world's most famous models, "People don't generally have that kind of interest in musicians — unless you're a super-pop-star — but suddenly people felt entitled to know my every action. It was a lot." Although she didn't take to the public attention, she had only good things to share about her former partner. St. Vincent praised Delevingne by saying, "She's so wonderful. I've never met a person more charismatic. I've never seen a person walk into a room and command the attention, not because she's trying, just because she burns brighter than everybody else."
Paulina Porizkova's marriage to Ric Ocasek met a painful end
Paulina Porizkova was once the highest-paid model ever. You Magazine reports that her 1988 $6 million contract with Estée Lauder was the biggest in history up until that time, but her decades-long marriage to rocker Rick Ocasek led her down the road to potential financial ruin. A 19-year-old Porizkova and Ocasek, then 40, met in 1984 when she filmed the video for The Cars' song "Drive," but she didn't mind the large age gap. In 2020, Porizkova said to "CBS Sunday Morning," "I loved the security of having a mate that was older and wiser." They got married in 1989 and had two children together.
Porizkova and Ocasek separated in 2018, and while the model assumed their split was amicable, she soon learned the harsh truth about their relationship. Per The Guardian, Porizkova's financial earnings were put into their shared family account, and when Ocasek died in 2019, she discovered he and his lawyers had removed her from his will, leaving her with little financial resources. Porizkova candidly shared her feelings on Instagram in 2020, writing in part, "While my love for my husband was steady and my trust in him absolute, I was clearly delusional. I believed I knew him. I believed we had the same definition of 'love'. Grieving him is an equal amount of heartbreak and rage."
In 2021, Porizkova revealed on "The Originals" podcast that she fairly settled her dispute with the Ocasek estate.
Behati Prinsloo dealt with Adam Levine's alleged wandering eye
At the start, Behati Prinsloo and Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine's relationship wasn't a sure thing. Per Porter, Prinsloo was introduced to Levine when he was searching for a model to appear in one of the band's music videos. She didn't get the gig, but the two started an email correspondence before falling in love. They called it quits for a short time, but were soon back together. Us Weekly confirmed their engagement in 2013, and they got married in Mexico the following year. Despite their high-profile celebrity status, Prinsloo and Levine kept their nuptials private, with Prinsloo only showing off her Alexander Wang wedding gown on her Instagram Stories years later (via Grazia).
The couple welcomed two daughters together and seemed like a picture-perfect pairing, complete with an Architectural Digest spread of their Los Angeles abode. However, the apparent facade of Adam Levine's relationship with Behati Prinsloo being lovingly cocooned in bohemian opulence would soon be rocked by allegations of infidelity in September 2022. Per Page Six, Levine admitted in his Instagram Stories to behaving inappropriately, but stopped just shy of saying he was sleeping with other people. Meanwhile, sources cited by E! News said that Prinsloo was sticking by her man through the ordeal, telling the outlet, "They have been together this entire time. She feels they are happily married and is shocked to find out what was going on behind her back."
As of this writing, Prinsloo is expecting her and Levine's third child and posts about her pregnancy journey on Instagram.
Chanel Iman brings her musician loves to work
Chanel Iman has been in the modeling game for years. Per Vogue, Iman is a serious student of the craft, and perhaps she noted the connection between models and musicians in her studies. First, Iman and rapper Tyga were an item in the late '00s. They even posed together in the May 2009 issue of Vogue. In 2011, Iman denied rumors she was dating Kanye West. She kept things professional when she told the press (via OK!), "Rumors are rumors. Kanye's a great artist. He's very talented. I've always loved his music. He's an incredible performer. He's just wonderful for the Victoria's Secret show."
In 2013, things got serious between Iman and her "Dope" co-star, A$AP Rocky. They confirmed their engagement to People in 2014, and while they were spotted on a few red carpets, like the amfAR Gala and Met Gala, the couple kept their relationship mostly low key. As with Tyga, Iman brought her beau into her modeling world when they starred in a flirty date-night-themed Vogue photoshoot together. But their romance was relatively short-lived, as the same year they announced their engagement, Iman and A$AP Rocky called it off. Sources claimed to E! News that it was the old-fashioned conflicting schedules that killed the relationship; however, the rapper eventually revealed to MTV News that he dumped Iman. He said, "I love her so much that I would rather not be with her, than hurt her."
Kate Moss' love for rock stars made for tabloid fodder
Kate Moss is equally known for being one of the world's most renowned supermodels as much as she is for her reported party lifestyle and rock star lovers. Vogue reported that Moss briefly dated Spacehog guitarist Antony Langdon in the late '90s. Moss and Langdon ended quietly enough, but it was her tumultuous two-year relationship with rocker Pete Doherty, who has been open about his excessive drug use and journey toward sobriety, that created peak-aughts tabloid drama. As noted in Vanity Fair, it was during one of Doherty's music sessions that footage of Moss reportedly using cocaine was secretly recorded. The fallout from the leaked video on Moss' career was immense — she was dropped from lucrative campaigns with fashion brands Chanel, H&M, and Burberry.
For his part, Doherty later wrote in his 2022 memoir "A Likely Lad" (via The Guardian) of his time with Moss, "It became a running battle, really, that relationship. It was always the same, for all those years: highs and then crushing, violent lows. It was not sustainable." They eventually broke up in 2007.
But just because Moss and Doherty called it quits didn't mean she gave up her penchant for rock-and-roll-tinged love. Per Vogue, in 2011, she married The Kills guitarist Jamie Hince in a romantic ceremony attended by a slew of fashion and music glitterati. As idyllic as their wedding day may have been, their relationship was soon rocked by reported jealousies and arguments. As reported by the Mirror, Moss and Hince quietly settled their divorce in 2016 after an 18-month separation.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Naomi Campbell's musician relationships and alleged hookups
Powerhouse model Naomi Campbell has a list of musician lovers that includes legendary rock stars, superstar R&B crooners, and hot pop singers. In 1993, AP News reported that Campbell and U2 bassist Adam Clayton became engaged, but their romance was finished the following year — seemingly on good terms. Although not going into detail about their time together, Campbell later shared with Independent.ie, "I won't discuss my private life. I only have very positive things to say about him. I am very proud of Adam."
Besides Clayton, Campbell has had romantic encounters with Eric Clapton, Tommy Lee, Usher, and Sean "P. Diddy" Combs. She's also reportedly hooked up with former One Director singer Liam Payne. According to sources cited by The Sun, Campbell and Payne secretly dated in 2019, but they didn't exactly do a good job of keeping their alleged romp under wraps. As captured by Instagram account CommentsByCelebs, they publicly flirted on social media, posting kissing face emojis in each other's comments sections.
Despite her track record of glamorous musician-filled liaisons, Campbell has yet to find the one. She told The Cut in 2021, "I'd say the sacrifice is really finding that soul mate who will understand you. It's really like you feel if they look at you as if you're strong ... you know, I'm strong, but I'm also sensitive. I know that in relationships I have to compromise."
Christie Brinkley was one of Billy Joel's uptown girls
Surprisingly, Christie Brinkley wasn't particularly familiar with music star Billy Joel when they first met in the early '80s in St. Barth's. In 2021, Brinkley confessed to Howard Stern that she didn't know who Joel was upon their first encounter, but soon Brinkley and Joel were an item. And for the record, Joel later confirmed on Stern's SiriusXM show that Brinkley is the subject of his hit song "Uptown Girl." She, of course, appeared in the tune's music video. They got hitched in 1985 and welcomed daughter Alexa Ray the same year. Around this time, Joel told People that his love for Brinkley was sincere, saying, "I'm not marrying this woman because she's a high-fashion model. She's a wonderful person."
While their union still made for great tabloid fodder, Brinkley prioritized privacy in their relationship. Talking with Sports Illustrated in 1989, she admitted, "When you start to get famous, you need a backyard, a place where you can get away from it all." Alas, Brinkley and Joel amicably broke up in 1994, with sources cited by People at the time saying of the model, "She was happy to be in his world, but I get a feeling she's just going to go for it."
While Brinkley and Joel divorced decades ago, they have indeed remained on good terms. In 2014, for example, ABC News reported on Brinkley being spotted in the front row at the musician's Madison Square Garden show. Once an uptown girl, always an uptown girl.
Jerry Hall infatuated both Bryan Ferry and Mick Jagger
Texan Jerry Hall's statuesque beauty captured the imaginations of not one, but two of Britain's most influential rock stars. Per Harper's Bazaar, it was love at first sight for Hall and Roxy Music's Bryan Ferry. After she posed for the album cover of Roxy Music's "Siren" in 1975, the pair were quickly engaged. However, legendary Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger began hanging out with Ferry and Hall, but not because he wanted to talk rock shop.
In her 2010 book "Jerry Hall: My Life in Pictures" (via Harper's Bazaar), Hall wrote, "Bryan was flattered by Mick's attention, but he could also see that Mick was smitten with me. It couldn't have been nice for him." She added, "At the end of the evening, Mick brushed his leg next to mine. I felt an electric jolt!" Eventually, Hall and Jagger started an affair, and Hall and Ferry were soon over.
Hall and Jagger became a public item in 1977. They had four children together and made their union official in 1990, holding a Hindu ceremony in Bali, Indonesia, per People. But their longtime relationship was messy, with numerous accusations of infidelity on the part of the rock star. However, it was the birth of Jagger's child with model Luciana Gimenez Morad that finally killed the relationship in 1999. When the couple split, The Guardian reported that Jagger challenged the legality of their nuptials. Hall and Jagger eventually settled, obtaining an annulment and coming to a mutually agreed upon settlement.