We have never gossiped about Bob Dylan, 73, before, but there’s a first for everything. (Update: I’m wrong, of course we’ve gossiped about him, we gossip about everyone.) This story goes out to my friend Rose R. of CT/NY who loves Bob Dylan. I met her protesting the war on Iraq back in the day. Rose if you are out there, email me! Anyway, to quote Kaiser, we rarely talk about Bob Dylan because he’s “a mystery wrapped in an enigma, from Minnesota.” The dude is rock royalty and he plays his personal life close to the vest. There are just two quick paragraphs on Wiki about Dylan’s personal life. He has four 40-something aged children, from his first marriage to Sara Dylan, which lasted from 1965-1977. One of his sons, Jakob Dylan, is the lead singer of The Wallflowers. (You know their song One Headlight.)
Dylan was married a second time, to a backup singer named Carolyn Dennis, from 1986-1992. He has a 28 year-old daughter from that relationship. No one realized that Dylan had a fifth child and had been married and divorced a second time until a biography came out of him in 2001 called Down the Highway: The Life Of Bob Dylan. So Dylan keeps his business tight. Now the sleuths at the National Enquirer have discovered that Dylan was married a third time to a woman who spent so much of his money that he divorced her once he realized what was going on. This is worded to suggest that this third wife spent all of Dylan’s $180 million fortune. I don’t think that’s the case though, I think she just spent so much that it pissed him off. Supposedly Dylan and the woman, Darlene Springs, were together for 7 years before they got married, and after they made it official she went wild living the high life.
Bob Dylan has pulled off what few in Hollywood have been able to accomplish — an undercover wedding and a secret split, according to a new report by The National ENQUIRER.
The 73-year-old crooner said “I do” to his third wife, Darlene Springs, in 2012 and two years later dumped her after he learned of her out-of-control spending, sources told The ENQUIRER.
“They are splitsville and have been leading separate lives since March,” a friend told The ENQUIRER. “It will only be a matter of time before divorce papers are filed.”
The much-younger Springs — a decade Dylan’s junior — and the folk-rock hero reportedly have known each other for 30 years and were a couple for seven years, before tying the knot in a private ceremony in 2012 with just a minister present, according to insiders.
Apparently, a Malibu beach house and a mansion in Encino, Calif. weren’t enough for Mrs. Dylan. Springs allegedly spent her husband’s $180 million fortune on clothes, first-class trips to New York City, five-star hotels and top restaurants, according to The ENQUIRER.
“When Bob found out how much she’d [spent], he hit the roof,” said the source. “He cut off communication with her.
“He wants a wife to be there for him — but Darlene was too busy shopping.”
Now I know why Dylan did that Superbowl ad for Chrysler earlier this year, he may have felt like he needed the money. Also, I don’t think an age difference of 10 years is all that much when you’re talking about people who are 73 and 63. That doesn’t sound like Dylan is robbing the cradle or anything, that’s a very normal age difference.
This makes me wonder how much Springs was spending actually. Was she just living high on the hog and does Dylan consider that wasteful? Is he the kind of guy who wants to live like everyone else or is he up for enjoying life’s luxuries? I tried to google to find out more, but he’s so mysterious that there wasn’t much. I did find out that Dylan has a private jet, but that seems necessary given how much he tours.
Photo credit: WENN.com
I hope when I’m 63, someone calls me ‘the much younger Ponytail’! What a funny way of putting it, especially as 10 years’ difference at that stage of life is nothing.
I know. I laughed at that too.
Yeah, when I read that I thought the woman was going to be about 25! When they said ‘ten years his junior’ I had to read it again to make sure it didn’t say ‘ten years his son’s junior’!
A ten year age gap is actually pretty respectable given that Dylan is a ‘rock star’ in his 70s. I wonder why they inserted the ‘much younger’ bit? Journalists rarely bother to point out an age gap as long as the man is the older party, so it’s odd that they did so for a fairly modest age difference.
I thought the same, expected there to be a huge age gap. 63 to 73 is nothing. I think they’re just trying to paint the picture of her as some younger gold digger.
“The 73-year-old crooner”
Crooner? Makes him sound like Tony Bennett.
Yup- my 61 year old mother is dating a 70 year old man, and while they joke about his “younger woman” it isn’t at all a weird age difference. Now, if they’re still together in ten years it might be an issue as his health declines, but it’s hardly an eyebrow-raising age difference at that stage of life.
I’m 10 years younger than my husband, so I think I’ll insist that he refers to me as his “much younger Ponytail.”
I don’t really think a 10 year age gap is a big deal. It certainly hasn’t been for us, and we got married at 26 & 36. The only time it even comes up is when we talk about music, because the music of his day was just ssssooo much better than the music of mine. Whatever you say, dear.
I know. Whatever would a couple of 73 and 63 have to talk about?!
I think he prioritizes privacy, and spends his money on luxuries to keep himself removed from people and publicity. Bodyguards, private planes, security, secret and isolated homes.
No matter how wealthy, I can’t imagine being married to someone who spent money on big purchases without consulting me first.
Reading your comment about Dylan’s lifestyle I now remember that I’m wrong! We did gossip about Bob Dylan when the port-a-potties from construction on his home were bothering his neighbors. NPR’s Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me even asked that we comment on that story. (For their “three stories, only one is real” bit.) They didn’t use me, though, we were the backup as they got the mayor of Dylan’s town to give the quote for that. I’ll update with that!
Totally agree on consulting about big purchases, which, for me, is over about $100. My husband always says yes, but it feels disrespectful not to talk about it first. This was a HUGE issue with my ex-husband, and is a big part of why he’s my ex-husband.
He sounds like a cheap ass. Not that we really know his net worth but we certainly know she didn’t spend the entire fortune. She bought clothes and flew first class to New York and stayed and ate in nice hotels and restaurants. Yikes! Poor Bob must be in the poor house.
There is nothing there that screams or even intimates she went hog wild. It didn’t say she flew to Paris for a manicure or anything extravagant. The man – her husband – is worth a fortune and why shouldn’t she be able to spend some money on nice living. Either they had a real marriage or they didn’t. If she had to ask permission to spend money on the expenses mentioned then Bob is just a control freak. And a cheap one at that. I would never have to ask permission or consult on spending money. We’re not talking about buying a house or plane, these are just normal living expenses. Bob is as weird as he ever was.
She’s the one who was taking, Bob was the one who was givinig. Who’s the cheap ass in that equation again?
I assume a lot of his worth is tied up in property & investments, so unless she sold those out from under him – he will be find. Now, I could totally see her screwing him credit wise, as one would imagine using the name “wife of Bob Dylan” can open doors. Expensive doors.
I agree. I think the wording from the article is a little misleading…Im sure he’s fine, he just saw what she was after and nipped it in the bud. Unless she bought a super yacht and several mansions under his nose, Im sure he didnt even feel the dent of a few million.
Aside from writing his own songs, hes written hundreds of hits for other singers. Plus, he tours. That man will ALWAYS be ok financially I suspect.
This seems to be the year for old rock musicians to come across as stupid as the younger ones. Having said that, it sounds like he knew her for a loooong time, so…wth?
I really hope that she only spent a “small” amount and not the whole thing.
There’s no fool like an old fool.
with guys of his status much younger usually means 40 years or even more. ten years in his world really is appropiate lol.
must suck having your nightmares come true that people are only with your for your money.
Money and sex are usually the game changers in marriage. I would be angry if my spouse spent a lot of money without talking it out.
I don’t know a lot about Bob Dylan, but I’m surprised that he’s still with us. A lot of the musicians during that time frame seemed to leave us prematurely .
You’ve reminded me of what Keef (71 next month, against so many odds!) said about ageing: ‘The older you get, the older you want to get’.
Alongside the many (young) casualties of Rock, there are some who are evidently made out of girders, DG!
I was bothered by that “much younger” line too. Really, 10 years isn’t that much of an age difference – especially not for people in their 60s/70s.
I agree especially when there are famoue man his age with wife/girlfriends in the 20’s and 30’s and still having kids.
First of all, it’s Jakob.
Second of all, the Complete Basement Tapes just came out. So as a Dylan fan, that has me pretty excited.
Lastly, his secretive personal life isn’t that surprising. Back in the 1960s, he always played with the press, told half-truths or complete fabrications, and was pretty much an actor (still is). I think he has a complete distrust for the media, and so does his family. You don’t see any of his kids out there doing interviews and being attention whores.
Yea, personally, I find it refreshing. I read some bio about him talking about how when he and Sarah were first married and living in Manhattan people (fans) would go through his trash which understandably freaked him out. Supposedly that’s when they moved upstate and he got pretty reclusive.
I’m just depressed that Dylan’s (Legend!) fortune was $180 million. Think of all the celebrities and mediocre actors who have twice or three times that.
Dylan lost 50% of his publishing rights to his manager Albert Grossman, but eventually got them back. But you’re right, with all the famous songs he has written, you think he’d be worth so much more. But maybe he’s not a good businessman compared to other musicians. Also, all those children and divorces must have cost him.
Yup, Bieber’s net worth is probably at least $150 million.
At the moment, sure. But he’s blowing through cash, has a big entourage, is not working, and has no staying power. I’m pretty sure his wealth is temporary, whereas a legend like Dylan can always generate income.
I was surprised by that too, but he could have a lot more that the public doesn’t know about. with him you never know! I am seeing him in concert tonight actually so its funny to see him on here.
I don’t know much about him, but the poetry and evocative storytelling in his lyrics is genius.
I was just on here to say this. He is a poetic genius.
The man has a way with words. He has these profound observations, but goes about expressing them so playfully. In his auto-bio , he said he considers himself a poet first, musican second, which, I guess is pretty obvious
He is a true businessman.
End of story.
😉
How does one spend all of that net worth? Are we talking about bundles of cash lying around the house or something? You would think if she were selling off assets to buy shoes he would notice a lot sooner.
I wonder about this because rumor has it that heather Mills managed to spend her entire divorce settlement from Paul McCartney, one of the largest settlements in legal history from one of the wealthiest men in the world. Hooooowwww do you do that?? I would have to make it a full time job just to spend the interest!
Practice practice practice…is my guess.
Interesting fact
Mavis Staples’ first love was Bob Dylan
Google or YouTube Mavis Staples and Staple Singers.
Extraordinary voice
Interesting, I never heard that. That seems like an odd pairing.
He wanted to marry her. He even asked her father for her hand. I don’t think she was interested, though.
no pics of this mystery lady?
I’m kind of impressed he’s not this guy marrying some young chicklet 1/3 his age.
I honestly think he’s not that guy, you know?
If she’d been significantly younger than him, then I’d say he should have known better, but I agree that ten years isn’t a big age gap once you’re into the late 30s/early 40s stage of life. That’s a shame, though. You’d think people would be past the materialistic stage of their life by that point.
I’m not trying to be a troll, but I really never got this guy’s appeal. I understand that he might be a truly incredible songwriter. But I don’t understand how people like Britney Spears are reviled for their vocals when this guy has a terrible voice–yet he’s revered like a legend.
Grant, I’ll try to explain it as simply as possible……
“Of war and peace the truth just twists
Its curfew gull just glides
Upon four-legged forest clouds
The cowboy angel rides
With his candle lit into the sun
Though its glow is waxed in black
All except when ‘neath the trees of Eden”
There is only 1 modern era singer/songwriter that can do that. In all likelihood, there will never come another.
At the same time here’s some Britney Spears, who you apparently want to name in the same sentence…
“My loneliness is killing me
I must confess, I still believe
When I’m not with you I lose my mind
Give me a sign
Hit me baby one more time”.
Does that seem to explain it Grant?
Grant, looks are subjective. But Dylan ‘ s voice and lyrics are haunting and memorable.
I’ve heard this sentiment before. A good friend of mine cannot listen to his stuff bc she finds his voice so grating. In regards to Brit, I think it could be argued that in addition to her lyrics being (relative to Dylan, anyway) uncompelling, there’s also the whole autotune element, and overall appearance that she was convinced in a “popstar factory”. She’s talented, no doubt, but perhaps a little inauthentic in relation to Dylan. But you like what you like, and really, who’s to say what’s “better”, right?
His song writing is excellent, but I could never handle his vocals. I had the same ambivalent regard for Neutral Milk Hotel back when they were big on the Indie circuit. No amount of beautiful song writing could get me to sit through the dying cat screeching the lead singer called high notes.
His songs are great as long as someone else is singing them.
A friend of mine is a singer and years ago she supported Dylan when he played here in Melbourne. She was a huge fan and was really keen to met him but said it was a huge disappointment because he seemed like a miserable person. She thought if someone like Dylan couldn’t be happy what hope have the rest of us got.
As an aside, the news is reporting that Phil Rudd, the drummer from AC DC , has been charged for trying to hire someone to commit a murder.
I think to expect any type of enthusiastic response from him would be misguided, lol, he barely talks to his audience at his shows
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.
Jailbreak. The charge has been dropped.
Besides what everybody else already said, I can’t really imagine that he would not have more control over that. He lost so much money in his divorce to Sara in 1977 and this is his third wife. But really besides all that, I knew that he was married again. His second marriage was so secretive and he is a family man. He had to be married. I am sad for him that it didn’t work out. He deserves all the luck and happiness in this world. I love him. Good luck Bobby Dylan.