A Look Back At Van Halen Singer David Lee Roth's Whirlwind Fling With Brooke Shields

In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, legendary rock star David Lee Roth — who was the frontman for iconic band Van Halen — and movie star Brooke Shields were rumored to have dated in 1986. Across the internet, there are several photos of the two together, although details of any kind of real relationship are scant. Both have had a long list of romantic partners, with Roth linked to relationships with nearly 20 women throughout his life. 

Because of their incredibly successful careers, both had become international superstars and when they got together, their pictures were plastered all over the news media. At the time, Roth was 32 years old while Shields was only 21, but that didn't seem to make a difference to them when they hooked up. Ironically, at least according to Celeb Riot, Roth allegedly preferred dating women who were six years his junior, while Shields allegedly went for men six years older than her, so the pairing seems like they would have been a match made in heaven.

Alas, like many celebrity romances, after a brief dalliance, it seems that Roth and Shields split up after a few months.

Celebrities often find it difficult to maintain privacy in their personal lives when every move they make is scrutinized by the media. Perfectly illustrating this was on page 14 of the August 31, 1982 issue of The National Enquirer where Brooke Shields was spotted with "Happy Days" actor Ted McGinley, and the two were rumored to have been dating ever since they met at a circus. As stars attempt to keep their private lives to themselves, rumors and theories can abound.

On February 7, 2003, in a forum called Van Halen Links, or VHLinks, one fan shared a rumor in a discussion about Van Halen's song "I'll Wait," which they thought was about Brooke Shields. However, according to Song Facts, the lyrics were written by producer Ted Templeman and David Lee Roth about a photograph in a magazine they saw in which men's Calvin Klein underwear is worn by a female model. That song was their second hit in 1984 after their first — and biggest — hit tune, "Jump," came out that year.

In a bit of irony that could be connected to the erroneous belief about the origin of "I'll Wait," a scene in the comedy classic "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (1982) has underachiever Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn) saving a drowning Brooke Shields. He ends up spending all of the reward money he receives on having none other than Van Halen perform during his birthday party.

Both David Lee Roth and Brooke Shields have had long, successful careers in their chosen fields. In 1974, David Lee Roth joined the rock band Van Halen, and they soon became immensely popular and influential, especially after their eponymous album in 1978. In the mid-1980s, Roth left the band to become a solo artist and was replaced by Sammy Hagar. However, he did get back together with the band a few times over the years, and in 2012 they released an album together called "A Different Kind of Truth." His autobiography, "Crazy From the Heat," became a bestseller in 1998.

Brooke Shields had a difficult childhood as she became something of a sex symbol at an early age. Her first film was "Pretty Baby" in 1978 in which she played a sex worker at age 13. She would then go on to more dubious fame in 1980 when she was fifteen, starring in the controversial film "The Blue Lagoon." The movie was centered around the characters of Emmeline Lestrange and Richard Lestrange (Christopher Atkins) who are teenagers stranded on a deserted island who end up discovering their sexuality.

Shields has also had a successful modeling career as well as an extensive television career which includes starring in the acclaimed 1996 series, "Suddenly Susan." She's been happily married to screenwriter and producer Chris Henchy since 2001 and told People in 2024 that his great sense of humor helps make their marriage work. "He consistently makes me laugh and doesn't take anything too seriously so I don't go down those rabbit holes the way I used to," she said.