Neil Young and Daryl Hannah: The Truth Behind Rock’s Most Polarizing Power Couple

When Neil Young filed for divorce from Pegi Young in 2014, it wasn't just a celebrity breakup. It was an earthquake in the world of classic rock. They had been married for 36 years. Thirty-six! Fans saw them as the gold standard of "rock and roll marriages," the steady hands behind the Bridge School Benefit. Then, almost overnight, Neil was spotted walking through Westlake, California, with Daryl Hannah.

People lost their minds.

His old bandmate David Crosby—never one to hold his tongue—publicly called Hannah a "purely poisonous predator." It was brutal. It was messy. And yet, over a decade later, Neil Young and Daryl Hannah are still standing, seemingly more obsessed with each other than ever. This isn't just some late-life fling. It’s a creative and political partnership that has fundamentally changed how Neil Young operates in his 80s.

The Secret Boat Wedding and the Full Moon

If you’re looking for a red-carpet Hollywood wedding, you’ve got the wrong couple. Neil and Daryl didn't do Vogue spreads. They did two ceremonies in 2018 that were so low-key they felt like covert ops.

The first happened in July 2018 on Neil's 101-foot yacht, the W.G. Ragland, off the coast of Washington. A local boat captain actually spotted them through binoculars in Echo Bay. He saw a small group on the deck and figured, "Gosh, that looks like a wedding!" He was right.

The "main" event followed on August 24 near San Luis Obispo. This part is kinda wild: guests were told not to bring phones. They were even told not to mention the wedding when booking their hotels. To make it even more "Neil," he reportedly sang "Harvest Moon" to her under a near-full moon. Instead of fancy party favors, guests got lockets with photos of the couple inside.

It’s easy to be cynical about celebrity marriages, but you’ve got to admit, there’s something undeniably romantic about two famous people trying that hard to keep the world out.

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Why it Works: The "Eco-Warrior" Connection

Honestly, the glue here isn't just music or movies. It's the planet. Both of them were activists long before they met. Daryl Hannah famously lived in a solar-powered home and drove a biodiesel car way back in the early 2000s. She’s been arrested more times than some career criminals for protesting pipelines and mountaintop removal.

Neil, meanwhile, has been railing against Monsanto and big oil for decades. When they got together, they didn't just go on vacations; they went to protests. They led anti-Keystone XL pipeline marches in D.C. together.

You can see this shared passion in their work. Take the 2018 film Paradox. Daryl directed it; Neil starred in it. It’s a "musical western" that’s honestly pretty weird—lots of outlaws mining the "detritus of past civilizations" while waiting for the full moon. It’s not a blockbuster, but it’s a pure expression of their shared aesthetic: gritty, environmental, and totally unconcerned with what the mainstream thinks.

Their Recent Collaboration: "Coastal"

More recently, in early 2025, Daryl released a documentary called Coastal. She followed Neil on his 2023 West Coast solo tour. What’s interesting here is that she didn't just film the concerts. She wanted to show the "lonely" parts of touring—the quiet moments in hotels and the mundane reality of being a legend on the road. It shows a level of intimacy and trust that Neil rarely allows anyone else to capture.

The Controversy That Won't Go Away

We have to talk about the Pegi factor. It’s the elephant in the room. Many long-time fans still blame Daryl for the end of Neil’s marriage to Pegi, who passed away from cancer in 2019.

The narrative usually goes that Neil "dumped" his loyal wife for a younger actress. (Though "younger" is relative—Daryl is in her 60s). But if you listen to Neil’s recent archives or read between the lines of his book Waging Heavy Peace, the marriage with Pegi had been fraying for years. Songs like "Ramada Inn" hinted at deep, long-standing issues.

David Crosby eventually apologized for his "predator" comments, admitting he was out of line. He realized that whatever was happening between Neil and Daryl was real.

The Citizenship Battle and 2026

Life hasn't been all quiet walks in the Ontario woods. In the last year, Daryl has been vocal about the "tricks" used to delay Neil’s U.S. citizenship. Even though Neil lived in the States since the 60s and paid taxes here for half a century, his citizenship was famously held up in 2020 because of his marijuana use.

By 2025 and 2026, the rhetoric has ramped up. Neil has been incredibly critical of the political climate, even sharing fears that his outspokenness could get him barred from the U.S. Daryl has been his primary defender in the press, telling the BBC that the bureaucracy was "ridiculous."

Actionable Insights: How to Follow Their Work

If you want to understand this duo beyond the tabloid headlines, you have to look at their collaborative output. They are very active, but you won't find them on Instagram or TikTok.

• Check the Archives: The Neil Young Archives (NYA) is where the real action happens. He posts letters, political editorials, and updates on projects Daryl is directing.
• Watch Paradox: It’s available on Netflix and gives you the best sense of their "future-past" Western vibe.
• Listen to Coastal: The soundtrack released in April 2025 features raw, intimate versions of deep cuts like "Vampire Blues."
• Support the Causes: They often put their money where their mouths are. They recently donated $25,000 to save the Mountain Road Forest in Canada. Following the organizations they support, like Habitat Acquisition Trust, is the best way to see what they actually care about.

The reality is that Neil Young and Daryl Hannah are two "odd ducks" who found each other late in the game. Whether you like how it started or not, their partnership is currently the driving force behind one of the most productive late-career stretches in rock history. They aren't retiring; they're just getting started on their next protest.

To stay updated on Neil's latest tours and Daryl's documentary releases, your best bet is to subscribe to the Neil Young Archives directly, as they rarely use traditional PR channels for their announcements.