If you were a rock star in the 1970s, you knew Bebe Buell. Period. Most people today just know her as Liv Tyler mom, but that label is like calling a hurricane a "bit of wind." It doesn't quite cover the sheer force of the woman.
Bebe wasn't just some girl backstage. She was a powerhouse. A Playboy Playmate. A singer. A woman who managed to keep one of the biggest secrets in Hollywood history for nearly a decade.
Who is Bebe Buell?
Born in 1953, Bebe moved to New York City at 18 and was immediately scooped up by the legendary Eileen Ford. She had that "it" factor. Within a few years, she was the November 1974 Playmate of the Month.
But here’s the thing: she didn't just want to be a face. She wanted to be a voice. She was deep in the CBGB scene, hanging out with Patti Smith and Debbie Harry. She was dating Todd Rundgren—a rock legend in his own right—and their relationship was the stuff of New York legend.
Then came the fling. The one that changed everything.
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The Secret Fatherhood of Liv Tyler
In 1976, Bebe had a brief, intense encounter with Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. When she realized she was pregnant, she made a choice that most people would find impossible. At the time, Steven was spiraling. Hard. His drug addiction was at its peak, and Bebe knew that world wasn't safe for a baby.
So, she went to Todd.
Todd Rundgren, knowing the child wasn't his, stepped up anyway. He signed the birth certificate. He gave her his name. For the first nine years of her life, the girl the world now knows as Liv Tyler was Liv Rundgren.
Imagine that. Keeping a secret that big while living in the spotlight. Bebe has often said she did it to protect Liv, to give her a stable father figure while Steven Tyler fought his demons. Honestly, it's one of the most selfless—and complicated—moves a mother could make in that environment.
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How Liv Found Out
The truth didn't come out through a lawyer or a tabloid. It came out because of a poster and a mirror.
As Liv got older, she noticed things. She looked like Steven. She looked like his other daughter, Mia. According to Liv, she saw Steven at a concert and the connection was just... there. She asked her mom point-blank: "Is that my father?"
Bebe couldn't lie anymore. She took Liv to a bench and told her the whole story.
Life Beyond the "Muse" Label
People love to call Bebe a "groupie," but she hates that word. Rightfully so. She was a peer. She managed Liv's early career, helping her navigate the transition from modeling to massive stardom in movies like Stealing Beauty and Armageddon.
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Bebe never stopped her own grind, either.
- She fronted bands like The B-Sides and The Gargoyles.
- She wrote a New York Times bestselling memoir, Rebel Heart.
- She moved to Nashville and continues to release music, like her 2024 projects.
She’s a survivor of a rock 'n' roll era that swallowed a lot of people whole. Instead of becoming a footnote, she became the matriarch of a Hollywood dynasty.
The Dynamic Today
Wait, do they all get along? Surprisingly, yeah. Liv is close with both her "spiritual father" Todd and her biological father Steven. Bebe managed to bridge those two worlds without the whole thing exploding into a bitter lawsuit.
It wasn't perfect. It was messy. But it was real.
Lessons from the Bebe Buell Playbook
If you're looking for the "actionable" takeaway from the life of Liv Tyler's mom, it’s about agency. Bebe Buell refused to be a background character in her own life.
- Protect your peace: Bebe’s decision to hide Liv’s paternity wasn't about deception; it was about safety. Sometimes the "truth" has to wait until the environment is healthy enough to handle it.
- Own your narrative: When the world tried to pigeonhole her as just a "rock star girlfriend," she wrote her own books and recorded her own albums.
- Adaptability is king: From the fashion runways of the 70s to the music scene in modern-day Nashville, she never stayed stagnant.
Bebe Buell is more than a famous mother. She is a reminder that you can live a hundred different lives in one lifetime, as long as you're the one holding the pen.