What Life Is Like For Madonna's Son Rocco Ritchie Today

As the child of pop superstar Madonna and her filmmaker ex-husband Guy Ritchie, Rocco Ritchie has been a household name before he made a name for himself. As a youngster, Rocco was stuck in the middle of his feuding parents — and in turn made headlines for his very public indiscretions. It's not easy being the offspring of Her Madgesty, but Rocco is intent on forging his own path in life.

With the nepo baby debate dominating pop culture discourse, Rocco wants to break free from the constraints of his famous parentage and surname. "I think people always judge you for whatever you are," he told ARTnews in 2024. "Obviously, that means being labeled as such as, which in a way is kind of their problem and not mine. And it's up to me to focus on doing the work, and committing to my passion ... I think that if I'm serious about what I do over time, the work will speak for itself."

Having been thrust into the spotlight at such a young age, Rocco now opts to lead a more private and low-key existence. However, he's been keeping super busy with passion projects, maintaining a swanky lifestyle, and a new special someone to boot. Let's take a look at what life is like for Madonna's son Rocco Ritchie today.

Madonna is renowned for her incredible transformations, with the Queen of Pop channeling everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Marie Antoinette throughout the years. It's an impressively chameleon-like quality inherited by her son, Rocco Ritchie.

For many years, Ritchie was famed for his long blond locks, which made him look like his mother in her platinum-tressed heyday. Then, he sported a buzzcut. But in the spring of 2024, he showcased his dramatic makeover. Appearing at the premiere of the Netflix series "The Gentleman," he looked near-unrecognizable with dark, slicked-back hair, which had grown quite a bit since his buzzcut era. He also grew a mustache, which made him look far older than his years. Seeing as "The Gentleman" was created by his father, Guy Ritchie — a spin-off of his 2019 flick of the same name — Rocco was possibly paying homage to his dad by showing up to the premiere as his mini doppelgänger.

The celeb offspring's new look was a signifier, perhaps, of the myriad changes he has made in his life of late. Back in 2016, for instance, the then 16-year-old made headlines when he was arrested for possession of cannabis (in the U.K., cannabis is still a class B drug and remains illegal, though people with severe health problems might, in rare cases, be permitted to use medical cannabis). But now those enfant terrible days are seemingly behind him, as Rocco sheds his rebellious persona and enters the next exciting chapter of his life.

Central Saint Martins is one of the most prestigious arts-based colleges in the U.K., so much so that it was famously immortalized in the hit song "Common People" by Britpop darlings Pulp. Accordingly, the college boasts a veritable alumni across the cultural sphere, including the late, iconic fashion designer Alexander McQueen, British popstar Paloma Faith, and Danae Stratou, wife of former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis and the possible inspiration behind "Common People" (though that's a whole other deep dive for another day). The college now counts Rocco Ritchie among its long list of celeb and celeb-adjacent graduates.

In 2019, Ritchie began studying fine art at Saint Martins. "He's proved his dedication by attending all his classes and throwing himself into studying," an insider told The Sun. "Plus, no one treats him like the son of a superstar — he feels like a normal student. He is inspired by graffiti artist Banksy and sees himself as a key player in the London art scene in a few years' time." 

Standard university courses last three years in the U.K., so Ritchie likely graduated in 2022. Thereafter, he refined his craft at the Royal Drawing School, which offers one-year postgraduate courses. However, in an interview with Artnet in 2024, Ritchie suggested that he'd studied at the Royal Drawing School for years: "I went to Central Saint Martins, but I developed my draftsmanship at the Royal Drawing School in London. I studied there for a few years."

For all his nepo baby privileges, Rocco Ritchie's life has also been a tragic one. As a youngster, he was unwittingly caught in the middle of an ugly custody battle between his mother, Madonna, and father, director Guy Ritchie, who divorced in 2008.

Subsequently, like his sister Lourdes Leon, he once had a tense relationship with Madonna. Growing up, Rocco was often at odds with his mother, which was exacerbated by the aforementioned custody battle. In December 2015, for instance, Rocco refused to fly back from his father's home in London to be with Madonna in New York. But in the summer of 2023, something devastating happened — and it ended up bringing Rocco and his mom together again. Having been found unresponsive in New York, Madonna became seriously ill with a bacterial infection and was rushed to the ICU. Rocco was seen looking distressed after heading to his mother's bedside.

In 2024, Madonna showed just how far she and her son have come. Celebrating Rocco's 24th birthday with a sweet snap on Instagram, she reflected on how the pair have mended their rift, now growing closer than ever. "The long and Winding Road through all your many moods and incarnations has been tumultuous and full of surprises," Madonna wrote. "But through it all —your curiosity, and Artistic Soul has been the glue that has held us together. Thank God for Art. Thank God for you ... Thank you for choosing me again."

Rocco Ritchie has made the stunning transformation from nepo baby to artiste. For someone like Ritchie, who struggled with his parents' divorce and got in trouble with the law at a young age, art was his salvation. He has been frank about his academic capabilities, acknowledging that he never got particularly good grades since painting was his passion. "I wasn't a very academically strong individual so I pursued the arts," he told ARTnews in 2024. "I studied life drawing and that gave me more of a draftsman skill. It was 24/7. I was just constantly doing it."

Ritchie first made his mark on the art world in 2022, when he began selling his paintings under the pseudonym "Rhed." At first, Rhed's identity was a secret, but Page Six soon did some digging and revealed that the mystery artist was none other than Madonna's son. His art divided critics, with some likening his works to AI and others claiming that it was irresponsible of the Tanya Baxter Contemporary gallery to promote the paintings of an apparently inexperienced young artist. However, Forbes argued that it was commendable of Ritchie to adopt a guise of anonymity.

These days, he isn't as keen on anonymity, instead embracing life as a full-time artist under his birth name. "Yeah, I was super young," he told ARTnews. "I just thought, 'I need to get a few years [in] showing and having a gallery. That was important or I would be completely written off.'"

After curating his first solo exhibition in London in 2022, Rocco Ritchie soon moved up in the art world. Following his "Lovers and Enemies" show in London at the end of 2023, he debuted his new exhibition, "Pack a Punch," in Miami in 2024. His paintings were on sale for $25,000 each.

Speaking to ARTnews about the exciting exhibition, Ritchie said that he hoped to be judged on his own merits, as opposed to being reduced to the son of two high-profile celebrities. "Regardless of where I come from, or what people associate you with, the art will speak the loudest over how many decades the work will be viewed," he reflected. "I've been lucky enough to work with good people in the art world. It's not just about selling your work. It's about placing the work in the right places with the right people."

Madonna attended the exhibition with Ritchie's siblings and was incredibly proud of her son's achievements. On Instagram, she shared a carousel of photos from the show, posing protectively alongside Ritchie. "So happy to have the night off to enjoy my son Rocco's's [sic] latest collection of paintings called "Pack A Punch" inspired by Muay Thai fighters. So Proud!" she wrote. Both Ritchie and his mom wore suits to the show; as the former previously explained to Vogue, fashion is central to his artistic persona. Specifically, he chooses to wear suits as he likens the tailoring to an art form in itself.

Rocco Ritchie was born in Los Angeles and went to school in New York, attending the prestigious — and expensive — Lycee Francais. But these days, London is home for Ritchie. In a chat with Vogue, he described relocating to London as a pivotal moment in his life, one that signified his transition from teenage boy to a young man with a purpose. "It pushed me to focus on my passion but to also get out of my comfort zone," he said.

In his interview with Artnet, he discussed how settling in London has changed his artistic influences. Namely, Ritchie, who was once compared to iconic American maestro Jean-Michel Basquiat, now mostly draws inspiration from fellow British artists. "Recently I've been focusing on British painters over the past 100 years or so," he said, "such as Bacon, Freud, Auerbach, and David Hockney. For this show, I was particularly inspired by Frank Auerbach's show at the Courtauld; the black and white charcoal works on paper."

Moreover, living in the cultural hub that is London has enabled him to hone his craft, as he takes in all the galleries that the city has to offer. In particular, the Royal Academy of Arts, located in Piccadilly, has become one of his most frequent haunts. "It's the most beautiful building and it has great stuff," he told ARTnews.

Madonna has six children — Lourdes Leon, Rocco Ritchie, David Banda, Chifundo "Mercy" James, and twins Stella and Estere — and they all seem to get along swimmingly. When he's not painting, Ritchie is living the high life with his siblings. As he told ARTnews when asked what he does for fun, "I don't know what would normal people do to have fun? I like food. I like being with close friends and family."

In September 2023, Ritchie and Leon painted the town red (or black) at Paris Fashion Week. Twinning in dark ensembles, Leon linked hands with her brother as they headed to a Saint Laurent show. Evidently close with Leon, he also went on vacation with her a few months later. In January 2024, the pair jetted off to St Barts with their mom. The siblings were spotted soaking up the sun as they relaxed on a boat, before enjoying a fancy meal at the posh Cheval Blanc hotel.

Then, in August 2024, Ritchie went on a fancy Italian vacation with his siblings to celebrate Madonna's 66th birthday. Celebrating like royalty, the family stayed at Positano's Villa TreVille resort, where rooms cost over $2,000 a night. The family then dined at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, before watching a local youth troupe perform at an ancient theater. On Instagram, the Queen of Pop shared a snap of herself proudly posing with all six of her kids, alongside the caption, "La Dolce Vita."

In 2024, Rocco Ritchie made it red carpet official with his girlfriend, Olivia Monjardin, as the pair attended the premiere of "The Gentlemen" in London. Though it's not known how Ritchie met his lady love, it's likely that their paths first crossed at Central Saint Martins, where they both studied (Monjardin majored in Fashion History and Theory). Ritchie had previously dated Kim Turnbull, a DJ.

Monjardin hails from Madrid and originally moved to London to pursue a modeling career, though it seems she's no longer working as a model. According to her LinkedIn, she was a PR assistant in the past, and since June 2024, she has worked as a VIP and Gifting Assistant for Stella McCartney in London. And, like her beau, she also has a creative side. As Ritchie explained to ARTnews, he and Monjardin bond over their shared love of art. "She is my girlfriend, so we do share that interest," he said. "It's a huge part of our relationship. I'm an artist."

With both Monjardin and Ritchie living and working in London, they're likely able to spend lots of time together as the chic young urbanites they are. In April 2024, the couple was spotted looking effortlessly fashionable during an apparent date in the city. Both sported retro coats, with Ritchie donning a brown suede jacket, while his girlfriend wore a 1960s-style pink bouclé number.

He may be pricing his paintings at $25,000 each, but Rocco Ritchie has been behaving in a manner that belies his newfound status as a well-to-do artiste (not to mention his multimillionaire parents). Seemingly taking the "starving artist" aesthetic a tad too literally, he was caught trying to flog his old furniture on his Insta story in 2024. "Selling studio couch. DM if interested," he wrote along with a snap of his old couch, per The Sun. 

It's not known whether Ritchie had more used furniture to sell to his followers, or if he just wanted to be rid of his old studio sofa. Regardless, the odd move led to folks questioning why someone who hails from such a privileged background needed to sell their old wares online. Then again, he's hardly the first nepo baby to try and make some extra dough on the side with their hand-me-downs. In 2021, David and Victoria Beckham's then 15-year-old son, Cruz, had his own "Down and Out in Paris and London" moment when he listed his used Louis Vuitton x Supreme hoodie online for $150,000. Cruz Beckham walked so Rocco Ritchie could run (or flog).

Upon entering his 20s, Rocco Ritchie began embracing all manner of exciting life experiences. He's been having a blast traveling, which has, in turn, inspired his work as an artist. "I've definitely been lucky enough to experience and see the world," he told ARTnews. "It's changed not only my work, but how I view stuff in general. This show, for example, was inspired by my trip to Thailand. When I saw Muay Thai and boxing there, [I decided that] I've got to do a show around this."

And Ritchie is in good company, living his best life with his friends. In 2023, he achieved the impressive feat of running an ultra-marathon across the U.S. "I'm thankful I was able to be a part of this incredible journey," he wrote on Instagram. "My first ultra marathon, I'm inspired." Ritchie's running partner, William F. Goodge, noted on Instagram that it was his first time running long distance with a friend. "@roccoritchie went from his previous best of 10k to 50k (32 miles)," he wrote. "With Techno as the fuel, we marched together through the second half of my day. I'm super proud of him."

It's not all marathon training for Ritchie and co, however. He and his pals also enjoy nights out. In January 2024, he appeared to be channeling Lenny McLean in his dad's flick "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," wearing a camel coat during an outing with friends in London.