Rock icon Rod Stewart has made his Atlantic Crossing – and he has no plans for a return trip after deciding to quit his life in Los Angeles once and for all to settle back in the UK, DailyMail.com has learned.
This week, the 78-year-old, born in the UK, severed a major ties with California when he put his sprawling Beverly Hills home on the market for a whopping $70 million — and now sources have revealed he has no plans. to set up another family base in town.
According to two well-placed insiders, Rod has grown tired of what he sees as the “toxic” culture in Los Angeles – where he also feels he has “no privacy” – and has chosen to return to his home full-time in England to support his wife Penny and their sons, who no longer want to deal with the ‘nuisance’ of commuting.
Rod and Penny, 52, who tied the knot in 2007, have two sons together – Alastair, 18, and Aiden, 12 – who are both currently attending a school in Essex, while their mother has been working as a volunteer police officer in London for the past few years .
“Penny loves the life she’s built away from America and away from LA. She loves nothing more than working for the police,” a friend of the family told DailyMail.com.
Rod Stewart, 78 (pictured with wife Penny Lancaster, 52, in their UK home in 2022) is ‘done’ with Los Angeles, putting his home there on the market this week for $70 million
Rod’s reasons for staying in the UK include his wife Penny’s job as part of the London Police Force and his son Alastair, 18, and Aiden, 12, who are at school (family photo from 2018)
Rod has lived in this luxurious mansion in Beverly Hills since 1991. The 3,000-square-foot home includes nine bedrooms, a pool, tennis court, and theater
“She also finds travel more annoying than anything else and just wants to live her life as a working mom.”
The former model – who married Rod in 2007 – was inspired to become a special constable for the City of London Police by the TV series Famous and Fighting Crime, in which she appeared. She completed her training in April 2021 and started volunteering with the police force. soon after.
But as well as supporting his wife’s career aspirations, Rod has also chosen to return to the UK because he knows this is where his two sons want to be.
“In addition, there is no way her and Rod’s boys want to leave their school and friends in the UK to come to America,” the insider continued.
The move marks a major shift for Rod, who has shuttled back and forth between Los Angeles and his childhood home in Essex for nearly five decades — a massive estate called Durrington House, which he and Penny bought for $5.8 million in 2016.
But a second source shared that the hit star – who has eight children by five women – has the full support of all his children, daughters Sarah Streeter, 59, Kimberly, 43, Ruby, 35, and Renee, 30, and sons Sean, 42 , Liam, 28, Alastair and Aiden.
“They all know how happy he and Penny live there and that’s all they want is for their dad to be happy.”
DailyMail.com has reached out to Rod’s spokesperson for comment.
Penny (seen at King Charles’ coronation) was inspired to become a special agent by the TV series Famous and Fighting Crime. She completed her education in April 2021
Penny (with son Alastair and Rod) enjoys living abroad and “just wants to live her life as a working mum,” a source tells DailyMail.com
Rod recently shared this photo with all eight of his children in Portofino, Italy. A second source says they ‘fully support’ his decision to leave LA and ‘want him to be happy’
Rod moved to the City of Angels in 1975 – ten years after he started his solo career. Shortly after jumping ponds, his talent propelled him to superstardom.
During his career, he has had 11 number-one singles and 12 number-one albums – selling over 130 million copies.
‘Rod has always considered Britain his home. Los Angeles was all he needed for that time in his life, but it’s clear he doesn’t like LA anymore. It just got so toxic and he has no privacy in the city.”
On May 9, Rod’s daughter Ruby Otis welcomed Stewart Kalick with her fiancé Jake Kalic.
And then days later on May 12, Rod’s ice hockey player son Liam and his partner Nicole Ann revealed the arrival of their first son Louie.
He recently shared photos with both of his grandchildren and looked absolutely delighted. As fans know, he is constantly sharing family updates on his social media.
Rod first became a grandfather in 2011, when his daughter Kimberly and actor Benicio Del Toro welcomed a daughter, Delilah, who is now 11.
“Rod is so devoted to his family and close to all of them,” the insider added. “He is in a great place in his life and is thrilled to be a grandfather to his three grandchildren.”
Still, his decision to leave Los Angeles for good is a bittersweet one.
The Maggie May singer, pictured last month with his two eldest grandchildren, is “devoted to his family,” the source says, and is “delighted” to be a grandfather for the third time.
As fans who follow his famous family know, Rod bought the house he just put on the market for $70 million in 1991 while married to model Rachel Hunter.
He paid $12 million for the land and built the Beverly Hills mansion from the ground up. The massive 3,000-square-foot abode, designed by famed California architect Richard Landry, has been his home ever since.
The nine-bedroom mansion includes a three-story guest house, two gyms and a swimming pool. Unique to the building is a large football field.
In recent years, countless celebrities and other high-profile individuals have fled California, where taxes on the wealthy have risen and crime rates have skyrocketed.
Actor Jim Carey, 61, who bought his Brentwood mansion in 1994 for $3.8 million, listed his home for a whopping $28.9 million after announcing his plan to retire from acting.
Mark Wahlberg said he parted ways with the Golden State late last year in hopes of giving his children a “better life” in tax-free Nevada.
Tesla CEO and now “Chief Twit” Elon Musk confirmed that he moved to Texas in 2020 after a feud with California lawmakers over the government shutdown during the COVID-19 crisis.
Actor Scott Baio is the most recent celebrity to leave LA – citing crime and homelessness as reasons for wanting to get out.