Inside the Love Lives of the KISS Members (Including One Couple Who Dated for Nearly 30 Years Before Marrying!)
- - Inside the Love Lives of the KISS Members (Including One Couple Who Dated for Nearly 30 Years Before Marrying!)
Michael NiedDecember 23, 2025 at 11:00 PM
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Taylor Hill/FilmMagic; Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Shannon Tweed and Gene Simmons ; Erin Sutton and Paul Stanley
Rock stars are famous for their love lives, and that sentiment has also applied to KISS.
Founded in 1973 by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, the band is responsible for timeless hits such as “I was Made for Lovin’ You,” “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “Detroit Rock City.” Over the years, the group’s lineup shifted until they went on hiatus in 2023 after a farewell tour.
The band reunited in 2025 to perform a show in Las Vegas in November. The following month, they were honored by President Donald Trump at the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors alongside Sylvester Stallone, Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor and George Strait.
Many members of the group attended the event at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 7. They were joined on the red carpet by their wives and partners.
Here’s everything to know about the real-life loves of the members of KISS.
01 of 06
Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed
Amy Sussman/FilmMagic
Shannon Tweed (L) and Gene Simmons (R) attend the world premiere of "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" at TCL Chinese Theatre on March 25, 2024 in Hollywood, California.
KISS co-founder, bassist and co-lead singer, Gene Simmons (aka “Demon”), has been married to his wife, model Shannon Tweed, since 2011 — though they've been together since 1983.
In 1989, they welcomed their son, Nick, followed by their daughter, Sophie, in 1992.
Simmons and Tweed first met at the Playboy Mansion and shared a special bond with the magazine’s late founder, Hugh Hefner. Despite their long-lasting relationship, the couple didn’t tie the knot until 28 years in.
The iconic rocker popped the question while they were on vacation in Belize, which was filmed for their family’s A&E reality series, Gene Simmons Family Jewels.
"I come with so much baggage, but you're the only friend I've got. You're the only one I love … and you're the only one I ever will love," Simmons said while down on one knee. "I've never said those words to anybody. And I don't ever want to … funny, I used to watch movies where they say I can't live without you, but for me it's true."
Looking back on their wedding, Simmons described it to PEOPLE as “a great evening of music and fun.” He added, “I look at my wedding band and think, ‘What was I afraid of all this time?’ "
02 of 06
Paul Stanley and Erin Sutton
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
Erin Sutton and Paul Stanley attend the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors at The Kennedy Center on December 07, 2025 in Washington, DC
Paul Stanley (a.k.a “Starchild”), KISS’ co-founder, rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist, celebrated 20 years of marriage with his wife, Erin Sutton, in November 2025. Their nuptials came four years after they met at a restaurant.
“I just looked at her, and I was captivated, not in the way where I want to go home with her and end up with her or anything like that," the rocker told PEOPLE in June 2021. "It was, 'I want to talk to this woman.' I was compelled."
Together, they welcomed three children. Their son Colin arrived in September 2006, while their daughters Sarah and Emily were born in January 2009 and August 2011, respectively. Stanley also shares a son, Evan, with his ex-wife Pamela Bowen.
03 of 06
Ace Frehley
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Ace Frehley performs in concert at Haute Spot Event Venue on July 13, 2023 in Cedar Park, Texas.
Guitarist Ace Frehley was one of the four original members of KISS and went by the stage name “Spaceman.” He died at the age of 74 on Oct. 16, 2025.
Little is known about his relationship status at the time of his death. However, The New York Times reported that he married Jeanette Trerotola in 1978. The couple met when he was 18 years old and welcomed a daughter, Monique, together in 1980.
Frehley and Trerotola were estranged but never legally separated. However, he went on to have several other relationships, including one with artist Lara Cove. The couple were engaged but announced their separation in June 2024.
04 of 06
Peter Criss and Gigi Criss
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Known as “Catman,” Peter Criss served as the band’s first drummer and sang lead on several of their songs. The rocker was married twice before wedding his longtime wife, Gigi Criss, on May 3, 1998.
In May 2025, Criss marked their 27th wedding anniversary on his website, writing, “All I know is you are the most loving, caring, kindest person I’ve ever had in my life. I am so Blessed to have you as my wife.”
The couple made a date night out of the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors, attending alongside Simmons and Tweed and Stanley and Sutton.
Criss shares one daughter, Jenilee, with a former partner.
05 of 06
Eric Singer
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
Eric Singer attends the opening of Audemars Piguet on December 9, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California
After Eric Carr's death in 1991, Eric Singer took over as KISS’ drummer. He’s been with the band on and off over the years.
However, the drummer has largely kept his personal life out of the spotlight.
06 of 06
Tommy Thayer
Terry Wyatt/Getty
KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer attends the 17th annual Waiting for Wishes celebrity dinner on April 24, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee.
After opening for KISS in the ‘80s, guitarist Tommy Thayer joined the band in an official capacity in 2002. The rock star married Amber Peek in 2006, but they have since separated.
In March 2021, Thayer revealed that he was a father, sharing on Instagram that he had connected with an adult daughter named Sierra, whom he did not know of previously.
“We’ve already spent a lot of time getting to know each other and creating a close bond,” he wrote in the caption. “She’s a beautiful, sincere person and I couldn’t be happier. I think she feels the same about me.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
