Metallica Lead Vocalist James Hetfield Files For Divorce After 20 Years Of Marriage

Metallica frontman James Hetfield has filed for divorce from his wife, Francesca Hetfield.

The news of the filing made the rounds following Metallica recently concluding the 2022 European leg of their tour. The tour was held to promote the 30th year milestone of "Metallica" (The Black Album) and the 40th anniversary of the band.

According to reports, the musician filed for divorce in a Colorado court where he lived with his family. Sources claim that the couple is still in touch because of their children, although there is no information regarding a court date for the hearing.

According to reports obtained by TMZ, Hetfield has since taken steps to end his marriage to his longtime wife, Francesca. The pair's marriage lasted over two decades after tying the knot in the late nineties.

During their union, they welcomed three children, daughters Cali and Marcella, and son Castor, who currently drums for the band from Savannah, Georgia, called Bastardane. All three children are in their twenties and no longer need parental supervision when their parent's split gets finalized.

Hetfield reportedly filed for divorce in Colorado earlier this year for unspecified reasons. The news of Hetfield filling the papers did not make the headlines as the couple wanted to keep their split out of the media spotlight.

Other specifics, such as the partition of properties and division of funds, are still vague at this time. The couple is still keeping in touch for the benefit of their kids and to make sure the split happens as peacefully as possible.

Hetfield has gained enormous wealth from his successful music career and is reportedly worth $300 million. As the lead vocalist, co-founder, and main songwriter of Metallica, the band released several bodies of works, including ten studio albums, three live albums, four extended plays, and 24 singles.

However, the singer's battle with addictions, notably an excessive drinking habit, has severely marred his legacy. In 2001, the singer enrolled in a rehabilitation center and, after his release, tried to maintain complete sobriety.

He relapsed years later and again went into rehab in 2019, leading to the cancellation of Metallica's Australia/New Zealand leg of the WorldWired Tour. The musician is also known to have struggled with anger issues, which has caused him to act destructively in certain situations.

The 59-year-old has said in the past that his estranged wife was instrumental in helping him control his rage and alcoholism.

"Fear was a big motivator in that for me. Losing my family, that was the thing that scared me so much, that was the bottom I hit, that my family is going to go away because of my behaviors that I brought home from the road," the singer said in an interview (via Page Six.) "I got kicked out of my house by my wife, I was living on my own somewhere, I did not want that."

"Maybe as part of my upbringing, my family kind of disintegrated when I was a kid," he explained about his attempts to get better. "Father left, mother passed away …..It just kind of floated away, and I do not want that happening. No matter what's going on, we're going to talk this stuff out, and make it work."

Hetfield and Francesca had a home in Vail, Colorado, until their separation. Per the Mirror, the singer's move to the southwestern state was spurred by several reasons, including the area's peaceful ambiance and due to it being the place of birth of his soon-to-be ex-wife.

Additionally, the musician disclosed that he left his previous home in Northern California because he had grown weary of the hostility from those who didn't share his political opinions and lifestyle preferences.

"I kind of got sick of the Bay Area, the attitudes of the people there, a little bit," he revealed to podcast host Joe Rogan, per the publication.

"They talk about how diverse they are, and things like that, and it's fine if you're diverse like them. But showing up with a deer on the bumper doesn't fly in Marin County."