Rod Stewart’s Son Wasn’t in His ‘Just a Family Thing’ Wedding — He Married School Friend without Dad by His Side Too

• Rod Stewart is a proud family man. He adores his family, comprising eight children and two grandchildren.
• He and his son Sean weren't always on good terms despite this. The eldest Stewart son was in and out of trouble through the years, and it caused a rift between them at one point in time.
• Sean didn't attend Rod's intimate wedding ceremony back in 2007. In 2023, when Sean got married, Rod also wasn't in attendance but for an entirely different reason.

Rod Stewart is a proud dad to eight children, but it hasn't always been a smooth ride. Having been busy through the years, Stewart was away a lot and tried to make up for lost time every time he was home and not on tour.

Despite this, the singer tries to be the best dad he can be. His parenting style adjusts to each of his kids, depending on what he believes would suit them best.

Stewart's eldest daughter, Sarah, was put up for adoption when he and Sarah's mother, his ex-girlfriend Susannah Boffey decided they were too young to give their daughter a good life. They were only teenagers then.

When Sarah turned 21, she gained access to her adoption records, and after finding out about her dad, she went to his recording studio and introduced herself as his daughter.

The studio could not turn her away because the resemblance was striking, so Stewart met her, and they ended up forming a good relationship.

Apart from his eldest, Stewart also shares son Sean and daughter Kimberly with his ex-wife, Alana Stewart. He has a daughter, Ruby, with ex-girlfriend Kelly Emberg, daughter Renee and son Liam with ex-wife Rachel Hunter, and sons Alastair and Aiden with his current wife, Penny Lancaster.

Through the years, the singer made sure to make all of his children feel special. He treats them equally and even lives three minutes away from all of his ex-partners so he and his children are always close by.

When Sean and Kimberly were younger, Stewart wasn't as present as he wanted to be. He spent much of his time touring, especially since he was in debt to the IRS in the 1970s.

Being a dad has been the singer's "Fountain of Youth," and now he's an older dad, he still finds ways to connect with all of his children regardless of their age.

Stewart wasn't able to do normal "dad" things with his older children, so with his two youngest, Alastair and Aiden, he tried to be as present as possible. During their growing years, he would take them to school as any normal parent would.

Nowadays, Stewart is also a doting grandfather. He has a granddaughter from his daughter Kimberly, and just this year, it was announced that his daughter Ruby was expecting a boy.

The Stewart clan is a big one, and every get-together is a fun celebration. On one occasion, the singer's kids goofed around with him while doing chores in the kitchen.

He supervised with a yellow towel on his head and spoke to his viewers. Stewart, who admittedly said he and his family had a drink or two, explained to their fans that they had just finished having a family dinner.

With everyone through with their meals, they proceeded to the kitchen to clean up. His children are seen washing pots and dishes, wiping plates dry, and putting things back into cupboards.

It hasn't always been this way, and at one point, the Grammy Award-winning artist admitted that almost all of his older children had their own struggles with substance abuse. "Except for Liam," he clarified.

Despite this, Stewart is relieved and glad to say all of his children made it through and are doing much better.

Sean's Turbulent Relationship with Rod

When Stewart married Penny Lancaster in Italy back in 2007, his troubled son Sean wasn't there to celebrate with him. Days before the wedding, Sean was arrested in Los Angeles and charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon outside a Hollywood party.

Sean was in jail for an hour and a half before his father reportedly paid his $60,000 bail. Stewart was left helpless after trying everything to sort his son out.

At the time, Sean denied the allegations of not attending his dad's wedding because his dad didn't want him to be there. Instead, he blamed it on his busy work schedule.

"I'm happy that my dad's getting married. If he's happy, I'm happy. And I really wish I could go, but I have to work. I wish them all the best," he said.

This wasn't Sean's first run-in with the law. He was jailed back in 2002 after assaulting a stranger at a Malibu parking lot. And while he was out on bail, he was arrested for drug offenses.

Following the arrest, he was put in rehab for nine months. It was his second time there after spending his teenage years struggling with substance abuse.

By the time Sean was 19, Stewart had no choice but to cut off his allowance and take away his car due to his antics. It made no difference, and he continued his rebellious behavior.

Despite the struggles, Stewart admitted that it's Sean who calls him the most to say he loved him. This is even though Sean said being his father's son was a curse and the singer was absent for most of his childhood life.

Sean is the first to say that growing up as a famous celebrity's son is no easy feat. In fact, he saw it as a hindrance.

They were exposed to parties at an early age and were constantly with people who only wanted to be their friends because of their famous parents. They had to cope with their famous parents' absence, and Sean used to believe his dad didn't love him because he was never around.

"Now I've come to terms with it," he once admitted. "I realize he does love me – he was just doing his job."

Through the years, Sean tried his best to get out of Stewart's shadow. He moved out of the home his father purchased for him and his sisters and instead started renting his own place, all while still receiving an allowance from his dad.

He dreamt of making it big in the industry, making his own records, and even dabbling in acting by taking acting lessons at one point. In fact, it was his record that hindered him from making it to Stewart's wedding in Italy back in 2007.

The wedding would have been a great excuse to get out of work for even just a couple of days. Only the couple's 100 closest family and friends were invited to attend. "It was just a family thing," one of Stewart's bodyguards explained.

Stewart chartered a yacht worth millions of dollars for his family to stay on while in the area. He also spent over $600,000 on the wedding party.

Their Relationship Later Improved for the Better

Despite not being at his dad's wedding, Sean eventually remained connected to his dad. He vowed to finally change his life for good in 2015, refusing to go off the rails anymore. He shared:

“[...] It's so funny now because I wake up in the morning, and what excites me is going boxing and getting my heart rate up and getting my endorphins going. And then I go and get a juice. I'm in such a new chapter in my life where my health and wellness is my main concern. I'm feeling good, I'm feeling healthy.”

Sean did promise to get his life together, but in 2019, he and his dad were on the news for an infamous reason. They got into a heated argument with a security guard, which was contrary to what the singer had been trying to teach his son through the years.

Both father and son were charged with one misdemeanor count each and were facing jail time. Eventually, they avoided jail after accepting a plea deal.

After their sighting, Sean wed his mystery lady in a "spur of the moment" wedding ceremony in Las Vegas in February 2023.

In 2022, Sean tried to put his life back on track once more with the launch of his own lifestyle brand, Dirty Weekend. It focuses on fashionable streetwear and is named after one of his father's top hits.

Stewart couldn't be more proud of Sean, who has been trying to forge his own path. The clothing line launch came after years of trying to make a name for himself in the industry as both a singer and an actor.

However, months after launching his clothing line, Sean got into an accident when a truck hit him. He was rushed to the hospital in a neck brace and was given immediate treatment.

His recovery was a success, and Sean was photographed a month later, in November, walking around Beverly Hills with a mystery blonde. The woman turned out to be TV producer Jody Weintraub, daughter of late "Ocean's Eleven" producer, Jerry Weintraub.

After their sighting, Sean wed his mystery lady in a "spur-of-the-moment" wedding ceremony in Las Vegas in February 2023. Sean reportedly proposed to Weintraub while they were having a romantic meal together, and when she said yes, they took no time getting married.

For the occasion, Sean was dressed casually in jeans and a YSL sweater. Meanwhile, his bride was in a black, cashmere jumpsuit.

Sean and his wife have known each other since high school after a common friend introduced them. It's unclear how long the couple has been dating before they decided to make things official, but their sudden wedding is a testament to how madly in love they are with one another.

It was such a sudden ceremony that nobody else was there to celebrate with them. It was just the two of them in Vegas, and when they got back to the hotel room, their abrupt decision dawned on them.

At the time, Stewart was on the way to Tampa to perform at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. While he wasn't there with Sean on his special day, they made sure to celebrate.

When everyone's schedules freed up, the Stewart family had a post-celebration. Stewart and his wife treated the family to dinner at Nobu, Malibu, where they spent quality time together.

They couldn't be happier for Sean who seemed to have found his match. Sean has always wanted to settle down and have a family of his own, and with Weintraub, he will finally fulfill that dream.

At 78, Sir Rod Stewart has gone through a lot in his life. Of all his achievements, what makes him happiest is his family.