Francesca Tomasi is a professional film costume designer and former consultant for the heavy metal band Metallica. She’s best known as the ex-wife of James Hetfield, the lead vocalist and co-founder of Metallica. They tied the knot in 1997 and were together for 25 years before divorcing in 2022. Here’s everything we know about Francesca Tomasi.
Who Is Francesca Tomasi?
Francesca Tomasi was born on January 27, 1970, in Rosario, Argentina. She moved to the United States as a child and attended Overland High School in Colorado. She then obtained an undergraduate degree at the University of South Florida.
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Not much is known about Tomasi’s early life and childhood. However, we do know that she works as a professional film costume designer. In fact, it’s through her job that she met Metallica singer James Hetfield in 1992, employed by the band as the costume designer for Metallica’s Whenever We May Roam tour.
The two hit it off almost immediately, dating for several years before marrying each other on August 17, 1997.
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Together, they welcomed three children: Cali Tee Hetfield on June 13, 1998, Castor Virgil Hetfield on May 18, 2000, and Marcella Francesca Hetfield on January 17, 2002.
Cali Tee and Castor Virgil both followed in the steps of their father and have music careers. Meanwhile, Marcella Francesca is a tattoo artist and runs her own clothing store on Depop.
Why Did Francesca Tomasi and James Hetfield Divorce?
Francesca Tomasi and James Hetfield got divorced in August 2022, 25 years after they got married. The reason for their divorce is due to irreconcilable differences.
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James Hetfield has long been open about his struggles with addiction and mental health. Francesca has always encouraged him to seek help, and, at one point, even kicked him out of the house when he refused to get better.
“[My wife] did the right thing. She kicked my a** right out of the house and that scared the s*** out of me,” Hetfield said during a 2017 interview with Joe Rogan. “She said, ‘Hey, you’re not just going to the therapist now and talking about this. You’ve got to go somewhere and sort this s*** out.’ So that’s what I did.”
Despite counseling and therapy, Tomasi and Hetfield’s relationship gradually deteriorated. Francesca later confirmed the separation in a statement, expressing love and respect for James but acknowledging that their paths had diverged and continuing the marriage was no longer an option.
The split was amicable, with the couple staying in touch for the sake of their three children.
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