You’ve heard the song. It’s blasted at every wedding reception from Jersey to London. "It's a nice day for a white wedding!" the chorus roars, while Billy Idol sneers into the camera.
Naturally, you’d assume the guy is a pro at marriage. Or at least that he’s walked down the aisle once or twice in between the motorcycle crashes and the platinum records. People have been searching for the name of a Billy Idol and wife combo for decades.
Here is the kicker: he’s never actually been married. Not once.
Despite the leather pants, the spiked hair, and the fact that he literally sang the most famous wedding anthem of the 80s, William Michael Albert Broad has never signed a marriage certificate. It's kinda wild, right? For a man who built an entire brand on the concept of a "White Wedding," he’s spent his 70 years on this planet keeping his bachelor status legally intact.
Who Is the Woman People Mistake for Billy Idol's Wife?
If you see a photo of Billy Idol from the 80s with a stunning woman on his arm, it’s probably Perri Lister.
Honestly, she was his "wife" in every way that didn't involve a courthouse. They were the "it" couple of the punk-glam scene. Perri was a dancer with the troupe Hot Gossip, and her influence on his music was massive. If you listen closely to "Eyes Without a Face," that’s her whispering the French chorus. She was the bride in the "White Wedding" video, which is probably why everyone thinks they actually tied the knot.
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They were together for about nine years. They had a son, Willem Wolfe Broad, in 1988.
But their relationship was rock and roll in the worst ways. We’re talking about a time when Billy was deep into substance abuse and, by his own admission, pretty much constantly unfaithful. There’s a legendary (and slightly tragic) story about Perri holding a press conference in 1987 just to tell the world she was still his girlfriend after another woman claimed the title.
The end came in 1989. Legend has it she heard him talking to another woman over the baby monitor. That was it. She walked.
The Mystery of the Growing Family
After Perri, things got even more complicated. You’ve probably seen headlines about his children.
Shortly after the breakup with Perri, he had a daughter, Bonnie Blue, with a woman named Linda Mathis. Again—no marriage. Just a serious, albeit shorter, connection. For a long time, fans thought that was the end of the story: two kids, two mothers, zero wives.
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Then came 2023.
Imagine being nearly 70 years old and finding out you have a 38-year-old son you never knew existed. That’s exactly what happened to Billy. Through a DNA test his daughter Bonnie took, he discovered Brant Broad. Billy wasn't even shocked. He told iNews that back in the 70s and 80s, things were so promiscuous that he "guessed there must be something like that" out there.
He’s handled it with a lot of grace, actually. He welcomed Brant into the family immediately. Now, he’s a grandfather of four, often posting photos with the grandkids. He seems to be leaning into the "Grandpa Billy" role way more than the "Rebel Yell" persona these days.
Is Billy Idol Dating Anyone Now?
So, who is the woman currently by his side?
Since 2018, Billy has been in a very steady, very public relationship with China Chow. If the name sounds familiar, her father is Michael Chow, the guy behind the famous Mr. Chow restaurants. She’s an actress and model, and she seems to be the one who finally brought a sense of calm to the storm.
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They show up on red carpets together constantly. She was right there with him when he got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023.
Why the "Wife" Tag Still Sticks
- The Song: You can't escape "White Wedding." It links his name to the institution forever.
- The Long-Termers: Nine years with Perri Lister is longer than most Hollywood marriages last.
- The Family Man Pivot: Seeing him with China Chow and his grandkids makes him look "settled," which usually leads people to use the word "wife" as a default.
But Billy seems happy with the way things are. He’s survived the 80s—which, let's be real, was a miracle in itself—and he’s found a way to have a family without the legal paperwork.
What This Means for the "White Wedding" Legacy
Basically, Billy Idol is a living lesson in not taking lyrics too literally. "White Wedding" wasn't even a romantic song to begin with; it was supposedly written about his sister’s wedding and his own complex feelings about the "sanctity" of it all.
If you're looking for a traditional "Billy Idol and wife" story, you won't find it. What you will find is a guy who lived a thousand lives, made some massive mistakes, and somehow ended up as a devoted family man in his 70s without ever saying "I do."
It’s almost more punk rock that way.
What to Keep an Eye On
If you want to stay up to date on the Broad family saga, keep an eye on his social media. He's surprisingly active. He shares a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff with China Chow and his son Willem (who is also a musician).
You might not see a wedding announcement anytime soon, but you'll definitely see a man who finally figured out how to make commitment work on his own terms. Check out his 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction footage if you want to see the "modern" Billy—still got the sneer, but with a lot more heart.