Forget a white wedding. It’s a nice day for a family reunion.
Though Billy Idolbegan his career in the late ‘70s as part of punk band Generation X, the UK native became part of ‘80s pop culture thanks to now-iconic songs like “Dancing With Myself,” “Eyes Without a Face,” “Rebel Yell,” and “White Wedding.”
Billy also became a dad in the ‘80s, welcoming son Wilem with Hot Gossip member Perri Lister, and son Bonnie with ex Linda Mathis. But unbeknownst to Billy’s fans—and the rocker himself—he was actually a father of three. And in 2023, Billy introduced the world to his third child, a son named Brant, at the unveiling of his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Billy Idol and family attend the Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony.Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images
How did this all come about? A random DNA test taken by his daughter.
“My husband just surprised me with a 23andMe, with a DNA test as a Christmas present,” says Bonnie in the new documentary, Billy Idol Should Be Dead, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 10, per People. A few weeks after taking the test, Bonnie said she got the results back on the 23andMe app.
“[I] open it and I’m like, who is this? This Brant. And it says his info’s like, New York, 1985, looking for my bio dad. I was like, ‘What?’” she said.
In the documentary, Brant said he also took a DNA test that raised more questions than answers. “I was like, ‘Mom, is there a chance Mark might not be my biological father?’ And she’s like, ‘Well, it’s pretty crazy, but back in the day, we broke up and I actually spent a weekend with Billy Idol,’” he says in the doc.
Idol, who says he always “really enjoyed being a dad,” quickly welcomed his new son into the family.
Billy Idol at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music AwardsPhoto by Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty Images
“Once I saw Brant with Bonnie and Willem, they’ve all got the same quirky sense of humor,” he says in the documentary. “And once I saw that, I could see he’s my son, really.”
However, as the title implies, Billy Idol Should Be Dead has some dark moments to it, including the terrifying details of a near-fatal overdose.
Related: Iconic '80s Musician Recalls 'Basically Dying' After Near Fatal Overdose
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