The late 1980s were a blur of peroxide, leather, and absolute chaos for Billy Idol. He was the undisputed king of MTV, a punk-rock pinup who seemed to live entirely on adrenaline and hairspray. But behind the sneering "Rebel Yell" facade, his personal life was hitting a massive, complicated crossroads. Most fans know about his long-term relationship with the iconic Perri Lister, the dancer who basically defined his aesthetic. But then there’s Linda Mathis.
Honestly, if you look at the history of rock and roll "other women," Linda Mathis is often unfairly relegated to a footnote. She wasn’t just a "dalliance," as some tabloids claimed at the time. She was the woman who fundamentally shifted the trajectory of Billy Idol’s life, leading to the birth of his daughter and, indirectly, the end of his era with Perri.
Who Really is Linda Mathis?
Linda Mathis wasn't a world-famous model or a fellow rock star. In 1988, she was a 20-year-old from Southern California who happened to cross paths with a man who was arguably the biggest star on the planet. Billy was still technically with Perri Lister—who had just given birth to their son, Willem Wolfe Broad, in 1988—when he began a relationship with Linda.
It was messy. Extremely messy.
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When news broke that Linda was pregnant, the rock world went into a frenzy. Perri Lister, who had stuck by Billy through the "Generation X" years and the height of his drug-fueled 80s fame, finally reached her breaking point. They split in 1989. For a moment, it looked like Billy might settle into a domestic life with Linda, but rock stars in 1989 weren't exactly known for their stability.
The Arrival of Bonnie Blue Broad
On August 21, 1989, Bonnie Blue Broad was born. She was Billy’s only daughter, and her arrival coincided with one of the most tumultuous years of his life.
Think about the timing:
- 1988: Son Willem is born to Perri Lister.
- 1989: Bonnie Blue is born to Linda Mathis.
- 1990: Billy nearly dies in a horrific motorcycle accident that almost costs him his leg.
Linda and Billy didn't last as a couple. In fact, they broke up less than a year after Bonnie was born. Some sources suggest the pressure of his skyrocketing fame and the looming shadow of his accident made a traditional relationship impossible. But unlike many "rock star flings," Linda didn't just disappear into the ether. She remained the mother of his daughter, and by all accounts, they maintained a level of contact that allowed Billy to be a father.
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Why the Internet Gets Linda Mathis Confused
If you try to Google Linda Mathis today, you’ll likely run into a wall of misinformation. There is a very famous Linda Mathis who is married to Judge Greg Mathis. That is not the same person. It’s a classic SEO trap. People see the name and assume the rock star was involved with the reality TV judge’s wife. To be clear: the Linda Mathis who dated Billy Idol has largely stayed out of the limelight. She wasn't looking for a reality show or a book deal. She was a young woman who had a child with a legend and then chose a more private path.
The 23andMe Bombshell (The Linda Mathis Connection)
Fast forward to 2024 and 2025, and the Linda Mathis story took a wild, cinematic turn. Billy’s daughter with Linda, Bonnie Blue Broad, decided to take a 23andMe DNA test. She was curious about her heritage. She ended up finding a half-brother she never knew existed.
His name is Brant. He was born in 1985—four years before Bonnie.
This discovery, which is a major focus of the recent documentary Billy Idol Should Be Dead, basically confirms that Billy's life during the years he knew Linda and Perri was even more "active" than the public realized. Bonnie was the one who reached out to Brant, and she was the one who brought him into the family fold.
It says a lot about the way Linda raised Bonnie. There seems to be no bitterness. Bonnie is the glue of the Broad family now, acting as the bridge between Billy’s different eras. She’s even made Billy a grandfather, with daughters of her own (Poppy Rebel and MaryJane).
What Really Happened After the Breakup?
By the time the 90s hit and Billy was recovering from his motorcycle crash, Linda Mathis had stepped back. The relationship was over, but the bond through Bonnie remained.
Billy has admitted in recent interviews, particularly around the release of his autobiography Dancing with Myself, that he wasn't exactly "husband material" in the 80s. He talks about "knockdown, drag-out sex with a million people" and the general "promiscuity" of the era. But he always speaks of his children with a weirdly touching, punk-rock kind of tenderness.
Linda Mathis represents the bridge between Billy the "Wild Child" and Billy the "Dad." She was there at the peak of the madness.
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What You Should Know Now
If you’re looking for a takeaway from the Billy Idol and Linda Mathis saga, it’s that rock history is rarely as clean as a Wikipedia entry makes it look.
- Check the Facts: Always verify which "Linda Mathis" you're reading about. The one in the Billy Idol story is the mother of Bonnie Blue Broad, not a TV personality.
- Watch the Documentary: Billy Idol Should Be Dead gives the best modern context on how his children (including Linda’s daughter) view him today.
- Acknowledge the Nuance: It’s easy to judge the 80s "rock star lifestyle," but the fact that his kids are all close today suggests that despite the mess, something went right behind the scenes.
If you want to understand the real Billy Idol, stop looking at the album covers and start looking at the family tree. It’s way more interesting.