Who Is Keith Richards' Wife? All About Patti Hansen

Keith Richards and his wife Patti Hansen have been together since 1979.

The pair met at Studio 54 on Hansen's 23rd birthday. Nine months later, Mick Jagger's then-girlfriend Jerry Hall invited Hansen to Richards' 36th birthday — and the rest is history.

In Richards' autobiography Life, he excerpted a 1980 journal entry about meeting her. "Incredibly I've found a woman. A miracle! She is the most beautiful … specimen in the WORLD," wrote The Rolling Stones guitarist. "But that ain't it! It certainly helps but it's her mind, her joy of life, and she thinks this battered junkie is the guy she loves."

They celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary (and Richards' 80th birthday) in December 2023. Richards shared a photo from their 1983 nuptials as the couple cut their wedding cake together.

In a 2010 interview with Vogue, Hansen shared how they've made their relationship last. "Any marriage, Rolling Stone or not, there's definitely going to be some rocky mountains there," she said. "We have had our trials; that's for sure. But on the whole, it's great. We both have the same morals and background. We both come from working-class families. I think we are very similar in many ways."

So, who is Keith Richards' wife? Here's everything to know about Patti Hansen and her relationship with the musician.

She's a model and actress

According to Harper's Bazaar, Hansen was scouted at a hot dog stand and signed with Wilhelmina Models at age 16. She's been on the cover of Harper's Bazaar, Vogue and Esquire. She was also the face of Calvin Klein Jeans and landed a major Revlon deal.

Several years later, Hansen entered the world of acting when she was in her early 20s. The model first appeared in the Trini Alvarado comedy Rich Kids in 1979, followed by Peter Bogdanovich's They All Laughed in 1981 and alongside Rick Springfield in Hard to Hold in 1984.

Richards made mixtapes for her

While dating, Richards had a unique way of expressing his feelings. "Keith was constantly making me mixtapes, and he would do beautiful drawings on them. That was his method of communication," Hansen told Harper's Bazaar in November 2011. "I have everything in boxes. Thousands of those tapes. I've saved everything."

He even created collages with photos and notes written in his blood. "It looks disgusting when it dries, but he loves the color red," she added.

Richards proposed to her multiple times

Richards proposed to Hansen in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in 1983. He has claimed that Hansen was so happy that she jumped on his back and broke his toe — but she noted to Harper's Bazaar it wasn't the first time he asked. It took a few tries to get that kind of response out of her and they wed later that same year on Dec. 18, 1983.

She had breast and bladder cancer

Hansen had a breast cancer scare in 2005 after her doctors found a tumor during a routine mammogram. She overcame it, but two years later, she was diagnosed with bladder cancer when doctors discovered a mass. Within a month, Hansen underwent chemotherapy and a total hysterectomy. Doctors also removed her bladder and appendix.

"The chemo is really horrible," she told Vogue about her bladder cancer treatment. "I don't know how people get through it. I have friends who are on that wicked stuff for life. It's so debilitating, so depressing. The first shot just totally ruined my arm."

Hansen added: "You have to go get yourself plugged in every week, and you sit there and you think, 'My God, I take such good care of myself. I'm so organic. I can't believe I'm putting this poison in me.' But it shrank the tumor."

She shares two children with Richards

Richards and Hansen had their first child, Theodora Richards, in 1985, two years after they married. Their second daughter, Alexandra Richards, arrived a year later.

Theodora hosts a talk show on SiriusXM called Off the Cuff, where she talks to music legends and rising stars. Alexandra is a DJ, model and artist. She married film director Jacques Naudé in 2019, and they welcomed a daughter named Arlowe Mae in 2021.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Alexandra said her parents were more in love than ever. "They're just like a bunch of kids," she told Access Hollywood in July 2020. "Their love grows daily, like they just met yesterday. They're really adorable."

Her career is chronicled in Patti Hansen: A Portrait

Ivan Shaw, the photography director of Condé Nast Archives, published a retrospective photography book about Hansen's career in 2018. The book includes a foreword from model Karlie Kloss and Hansen's famous photos — including one from a 1976 edition of Vogue, in which she is wearing a nearly transparent, wet one-piece swimsuit.

In a conversation with Shaw, Hansen reflected on her modeling career. "It's the editors who make the story, not the model," she said, per The Washington Post. "They chose me. They chose the clothes."

As for the modern modeling industry, she appreciates that it's become more inclusive. "Target is using all different sizes of women," Hansen shared. "The Dove ads. I think it's a great time right now. Women are so powerful."

She tries to stay positive about her appearance

In her conversation with Shaw, Hansen noted that staying positive about her appearance was still hard. "After years of being in this business, you're so aware of every little thing, every line, every mole. I try to keep a healthy focus," she said. "Every morning I look in the mirror and say, 'Oh, you could lift up here.' "

She added: "At 60, I finally decided to take really good care of myself. … I've done Fraxel [laser treatments] for all the sun damage. My daughters are in their 30s, and they do facials and have all the creams. I never did any of that. Now I do. Now I'm learning from them."

She and her husband love each other for their differences

Despite their longtime union, Richards and Hansen don't see eye to eye on everything in life, including religion and politics.

"I'm a Christian. I'm a believer. I believe that Christ is God. And Keith questions all that," she told Vogue in 2010. "And politics? I definitely want to be an Independent now, but my family is Republican. Keith is essentially a Democrat. But maybe that's what makes it work. We make it work."

Their daughter, Alexandra, agreed. "I think that's the challenge that both of them love. They love each other very much, and I just always see them working it out," she told the outlet.

In honor of their parents' 39th wedding anniversary in 2022, Theodora shared photos from the special day and the latest celebration on Instagram. She also commented on her parents' deep love, referencing their relationship's strength.

"I am so proud of this family. We’ve been through a lot but the love is so strong and powerful that it carries us forever forward on a cloud of compassion and courage," she captioned the snaps. "I love you mom and dad. You guys are my inspiration."

She and Richards celebrated their 40th anniversary in December 2023

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On Dec. 18, 2023, Richards shared a photo from their wedding day on Instagram to commemorate the couple's 40th wedding anniversary. The photo shows both Richards and Hansen in their wedding attire as they cut the cake together.

"For Patricia, Happy 40th Anniversary! I love you. Keith🖤," he captioned the post.