Mick Jagger: From David Bowie to Carla Bruni, all the romantic flings the rock 'n' roll icon is known for
Mick Jagger is one of the most iconic music artistes of all time. When you think of rock 'n' roll, it's hard not to picture his face front and center as the poster child for the wild lifestyle that went along with the genre. It is said the term itself was born out of the rocking motion of intercourse, but the rock 'n' roll lifestyle soon earned the epithet of "sex, drugs, and rock n' roll" as bands like Jagger's Rolling Stones soon embodied that lifestyle, glamorizing it to such a degree that it continues to enchant audiences decades later. And Jagger, at 77, continues to be the face of this movement.
Jagger was born into a simple, conservative family of teachers and hairdressers. Despite his father's best efforts to raise him to be a teacher himself, Jagger knew early on that music was his calling. He met future bandmate Keith Richards at school, but the two only really connected after a chance meeting at a train station in the '60s. Their shared love for rhythm and blues made them bond instantly, laying the groundwork for what would eventually turn into the Rolling Stones. The band has since come to be known as one of the most iconic and influential bands of all time, but even before their music hit the scene, Jagger's ability to capture the hearts of women would become alarmingly apparent.
Chrissie Shrimpton (1963-1966)
Jagger began dating the British model and actress before the band had put out their first record in the US and while the singer was still a student at the London School of Economics. At the time, Jagger was a small-time musician making ends meet by singing at local blues blubs. The two were reportedly engaged at one point and the relationship was largely without any scandal, that is until Jagger dropped Shrimpton after he began an affair with Marianne Faithfull.
Marianne Faithfull (1966-1970)
Faithfull was a singer herself, and it was no real surprise she and Jagger hit it off. He would later write the song 'As Tears Go By' with Richards for Faithfull. Unfortunately, this relationship was plagued with scandal, particularly owing to Faithfull's rather severe drug addiction which at one point led to a raid at Richards' house. And while her drug problems were cited as the reason for her breakup with Jagger, there was also the little matter of Jagger's affair with German model and Richards' partner Anita Pallenberg and Faithfull's act of revenge: sleeping with Richards.
Marsha Hunt (1969)
It wasn't just Pallenberg that Jagger had an affair with while he was seeing Faithfull, however. The singer also had a brief fling with model Marsha Hunt in the late '60s, but this time it resulted in the birth of his first child, daughter Karis. Hunt would spend the better part of the '70s in a legal battle with Jagger, who refused to support his child, eventually winning her case in 1979.
Carly Simon (Early '70s)
Singer Carly Simon and Jagger, along with Richards, put out the hit song 'You're So Vain' in 1972. Much ado was made about who the song was in reference to, though none of the involved parties have ever really answered that question. The one question that was answered was that Simon was hopelessly in love with Jagger when the two were working together. In her 2015 memoir 'Boys in the Trees', she would share about her relationship with Jagger, "Electricity...That’s what it was." When the two met again in 2016 at an afterparty, the meeting was "uncomfortable," as Simon described to Rolling Stone.
Nonetheless, the pair were frequently linked in the early '70s, with Simon stating in her memoir, "for Mick Jagger, all women, including me, were his, by divine right."
David Bowie (Early '70s)
There was widespread speculation into Jagger's relationship with Bowie in the early '70s. The two had worked together on tracks like 'Dancing in the Streets' and hung out in the same circles, so it was no secret they were friends, at the very least. But long after her divorce from Bowie, Angela would declare she walked in on the two naked in bed once, even claiming the Stones track 'Angie' was written for her. The duo has rubbished her claims, and Richards later stated he wrote the track without Jagger. Some even speculate the track was about Pallenberg.
Bianca Jagger (1971-1979)
The only woman Jagger ever married, Nicaraguan-born actress and human rights actress Bianca Perez-Mora Macias met Jagger at a party shortly before Karis was born. The two married less than a year later in France, with Macias already pregnant with daughter Jade. While it should be unsurprising at this point that it was an affair that led to their divorce in 1979, it must be noted that this was Jagger's only marriage and one of his longest relationships.
Rae Dawn Chong (1977)
The actress and daughter of comedian Tommy Chong revealed earlier this year that she spent a "fabulous" night with Jagger in the '70s when she was just 15. Chong told the Daily Mail, "He wasn’t that much older than me in my brain. He was 33 and young and gorgeous with a nice body," adding, "It wasn’t a bad thing; it was fabulous. Totally rock ‘n’ roll. He didn’t make me do anything I didn’t want to do, but he was very vain, always looking in the mirror." Interesting choice of words from Chong, considering Simon's 'You're So Vain' remains such a mystery.
Jerry Hall (1977-1999)
While Macias was his longest relationship at the time, it was his Hall who would turn out to be his longest one ever. The couple's affair led to Jagger's divorce, and they then went on to have four children together, split evenly by a wedding ceremony that took place while they were in Bali. This was, however, deemed invalid due to missing paperwork, so they were technically not officially married. Hall would eventually leave Jagger in 1999 after learning he fathered another child when they were together. It would later come out that this wasn't his only affair during their time together.
Carla Bruni (Early '90s)
It isn't clear exactly when Jagger's affair with French model (and someday wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy) began. Bruni was dating Clapton when she first met Jagger who would later share, "I knew Carla would appeal to his eye." Clapton begged Jagger to not steal Bruni from him: "Please, Mick. Not this one. I think I’m in love." Even Hall made a concerted effort to keep the two apart. Alas, when Jagger wants someone, he gets them. The two had a brief fling, during which time Bruni was also allegedly involved with Donald Trump, who, in turn, was engaged to Marla Maples.
Luciana Gimenez (1999)
Jagger had a fling with the Brazilian model in the late '90s, and she later would give birth to their son Lucas. Two months later, Hall would walk away from Jagger. Gimenez eventually married RedeTV! owner Marcelo de Carvalho.
L'Wren Scott (2001-2014)
Model, stylist and fashion designer L'Wren Scott was Jagger's next real relationship. The two were seemingly happy together, but on March 17, 2014, while Jagger was on tour with the Stones in Australia, Scott would take her own life at her New York apartment at the age of 49.
Melanie Hamrick (2016-present)
Jagger met ballet dancer Hamrick shortly before Scott's death, with Hamrick having just ended her engagement. Reports largely suggest the two were friends until 2016, when they were spotted together on a hotel balcony in Zurich. And by July 2016, she was pregnant with his child.