Rock icon Rod Stewart has completed the Atlantic crossing – and he has no plans for a return journey after deciding to give up his life in Los Angeles once and for all to settle back in the UK, has learned.
This week, the 78-year-old British-born severed a key connection with California when he put his sprawling Beverly Hills home up for sale for a whopping $70million – and now sources have revealed he has no plans to set up another family base in the city.
According to two well-informed insiders, Rod has grown weary of what he describes as the “toxic” culture in Los Angeles – where he also feels he has “no privacy” – and has decided to return to his homeland full-time from the UK, to support his wife Penny and their sons who no longer want to deal with the “nuisance” of traveling back and forth.
Rod and Penny, 52, who tied the knot in 2007, have two sons together – Alastair, 18, and Aiden, 12 – who are both currently enrolled at a school in Essex while their mother has been working as a volunteer police officer in the last years in London.
“Penny loves the life she’s led away from America and LA. She enjoys nothing more than working for the police,” a family friend told .
Rod Stewart, 78 (pictured with his wife Penny Lancaster, 52, at their UK home in 2022) is “done” with Los Angeles and is putting his $70 million home on the market there this week
Rod’s reasons for staying in the UK include his wife Penny’s job with the London Police and his son Alastair, 18, and Aiden, 12, attending school (family photo from 2018).
Rod has lived in this luxurious mansion in Beverly Hills since 1991. The 33,000-square-foot home features nine bedrooms, a pool, tennis court, and theater
“Also, she finds traveling to be more of a nuisance 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 with the City of London Police after starring in the TV series Famous and Fighting Crime. She completed her education in April 2021 and began volunteering with the police soon after.
But as well as supporting his wife’s career aspirations, Rod has also chosen to return to the UK knowing his two sons want to be there.
“Furthermore, she and Rod’s boys have no intention of leaving their school and friends in the UK to come to America,” the insider continued.
The move represents a major transition for Rod, who has spent nearly five decades commuting back and forth between Los Angeles and his family’s Essex home — a massive estate called Durrington House, which he and Penny bought for 5.8 in 2016 bought millions of dollars.
But a second source shared that the chart-topper – who has eight children from five women – has the full support of all his children, daughters Sarah Streeter, 59, Kimberly, 43, Ruby, 35, and Renee, 30, as well sons Sean , 42, Liam, 28, Alastair and Aiden.
“You all know how happy he and Penny are living there and the only thing they want is for their father to be happy.”
has reached out to Rod’s rep for comment.
Penny (seen at the coronation of King Charles) was inspired to become a special police officer by the television series Famous and Fighting Crime. She completed her training in April 2021
Penny (with son Alastair and Rod) is enjoying living abroad and “just wants to live her life as a working mom,” a source tells
Rod recently shared this photo with all eight of his children in Portofino, Italy. A second source says they all “fully support” his decision to leave LA and “want him to be happy.”
Rod moved to the City of Angels in 1975 — a decade after beginning his solo career. Shortly after making big leaps, his talent made him a superstar.
During his career he had 11 number one singles and 12 number one albums and sold more than 130 million copies.
“Rod has always considered Britain his home. Los Angeles was all he needed for this time in his life, but it’s obvious he doesn’t like LA anymore. It’s just gotten so toxic and he doesn’t have any privacy in town anymore.”
On May 9, Rod’s daughter, Ruby Otis Stewart, welcomed Kalick with her fiancé, Jake Kalic.
And then days later, on May 12, Rod’s hockey player son, Liam, and his partner, Nicole Ann, announced the arrival of their first son, Louie.
He recently shared photos with his two grandchildren and looked absolutely smitten. 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 gave birth to a daughter, Delilah, who is now 11 years old.
“Rod is so devoted to his family and very close to all of them,” the insider adds. “He is at an amazing point in his life and is thrilled to be a grandfather to his three grandchildren.”
Still, his decision to leave Los Angeles for good is bittersweet.
The Maggie May singer, pictured with his two eldest grandchildren last month, is “devoted to his family,” says a source, and is “delighted” to be a grandfather for the third time.
As fans who follow his famous family will know, Rod bought the house he just put up for sale for $70 million in 1991 while he was married to model Rachel Hunter.
He paid $12 million for the property and built the Beverly Hills estate from the ground up. The massive 33,000-square-foot mansion designed by famed Californian architect Richard Landry has been his home ever since.
The nine-bedroom mansion includes a three-story guest house and two gyms and a pool. Unique to the property is a large soccer field.
In recent years, countless celebrities and other high-profile figures have fled California, where taxes on the wealthy have increased and crime rates have skyrocketed.
Actor Jim Carey, 61, who bought his Brentwood mansion for $3.8 million in 1994, put his home up for sale for a whopping $28.9 million after announcing his plan to break away from the to retire from acting.
Mark Wahlberg said he said goodbye to the Golden State late last year in hopes of giving his children a “better life” in income-tax-free Nevada.
Tesla CEO and now “Chief Twit,” Elon Musk confirmed he relocated to Texas in 2020 after a standoff with California lawmakers over government shutdowns amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Actor Scott Baio is the youngest celebrity to leave LA – he cites crime and homelessness as reasons for his departure.