Jack White is now one of the most famous guitarists of all time, but his personal life was once an integral part of his career.
In 1997, Jack (born John Anthony Gillis) founded the rock duo The White Stripes with his then wife. And white. However, at the beginning of their career, the couple claimed that they were brother and sister. Even after evidence emerged of their marriage – and divorce in 2000 – Jack continued to say they were related.
He eventually explained that he felt a sibling relationship would put the focus on their music rather than a romantic connection between them.
“When you see a band that’s two parts, husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, you think, ‘Oh, I see…’ If they’re brother and sister, you think, ‘Oh, that’s interesting,'” he said Rolling Stone in 2005. “You’re more interested in the music, not the relationship.”
MFleetwood Mac is perhaps the most famous example of bandmates getting together – and the complications that come with it. “I separated from Lindsey (Buckingham) in 1976. We had only been with Fleetwood Mac for a year and a half and we were breaking up when we joined Fleetwood Mac,” recalled Stevie Nicks (…)
After The White Stripes became famous, Jack was linked to the actress Renée Zellweger. He also married twice more – with Karen Elsonfrom 2005 to 2001 and until Olivia Jeanwhom he married in 2022. Jack and Jean split in June 2026 after the Black Belles singer filed for divorce citing “inappropriate marital conduct.”
Keep scrolling to see Jack’s dating history over the years:
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Jack met his first wife, Meg, while he was still in high school in Detroit, Michigan. They tied the knot on September 21, 1996 and formed The White Stripes the following year. When the band became known, they told the press that they were siblings, and Jack introduced Meg on stage as his “big sister.”
Jack and Meg divorced in 2000, but continued to record and perform as The White Stripes for several years. They released their sixth and final album, Icky Thumpin 2007 and played their last concert that same year before officially announcing their dissolution in 2011. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2025 Iggy Popbut Meg did not attend the ceremony.
In 2014, Jack told Rolling Stone He “almost never” spoke to Meg anymore, but later apologized for claiming in the same interview that she wasn’t supportive of him. When she turned 50 in December 2024, Jack shared his congratulations on Instagram, writing, “Happy 50th birthday to my big sister, the amazing Meg White. There’s only one of you Meggo, you’ve set new standards. You’re still inspiring people, including me. I love you so much.”
Renee Zellweger
When the White Stripes were at the height of their fame, Jack began dating Zellweger after they met on the set of 2003 Cold mountain. Zellweger played Ruby Thewes and later won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, while Jack played a supporting role as a character named Georgia and contributed several songs to the soundtrack.
The duo dated for a year and a half before calling it quits in September 2004.
Karen Elson
Following his split from Zellweger, Jack moved on with British supermodel Elson after meeting on the set of the White Stripes’ music video for “Blue Orchid” in 2005. Just a month later, they tied the knot in a ceremony that took place in a canoe on the Amazon and was led by a shaman. Meg acted as maid of honor.
After their wedding, Elson and Jack had two children: daughter Scarlett, born in 2006, and son Henry, born in 2007.
In 2010, Elson released her debut album, The ghost that leaveswhich Jack produced and released on his Third Man label.
The following year, the duo announced their split in a press release and said they would be throwing a “divorce party” to celebrate, describing it as “an evening together in Nashville to reaffirm our friendship and celebrate the past and future with close friends and family.”
In 2013, Elson was granted a restraining order against Jack, accusing him of harassment and “bullying” while they fought over custody of their children. Jack denied her allegations in his own court filing, which said: “Mr. White does not wish to be portrayed as someone he is not, someone who is violent towards his wife and children.” The couple divorced later that year.
In October 2025, Elson and Jack filmed a TikTok video together featuring Scarlett as she walked the runway at Paris Fashion Week.
Olivia Jean
Jack met his third wife Jean in 2009 after she left their demo CD at a concert by his band The Dead Weather. After he asked her to come to Nashville to record, she formed a band called The Black Belles, and the group released their self-titled debut album in 2011.
The Black Belles split up the following year, but Jean released a solo album in 2014. It was around this time that Jean’s relationship with Jack became romantic.
On April 8, 2022, Jack proposed onstage during a concert at the Masonic Temple Theater in Detroit when Jean dueted with him on “Hotel Yorba” by The White Stripes. During the show’s encore, the two tied the knot, with Jack’s Third Man co-founder, Ben Swankofficiating.
Us confirmed in June 2026 that Jean had filed for divorce from Jack after four years of marriage. Jean claimed in court documents obtained by Us that Jack is “guilty of inappropriate marital conduct that makes continued cohabitation unsafe and inappropriate.”
Jean filed for spousal support, claiming that she relies on her estranged husband’s income to pay her bills. She also sought a court order to add her to his life insurance policy.
