Who was Brian Wilson’s wife Marilyn Wilson and why did they divorce? Singer’s past relationship explored

Brian Wilson’s first marriage to Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford (née Rovell) was far from being ideal. The couple parted ways within 13 years of their marriage.

For the unversed, Marilyn is the mother of the late musician’s daughters, Carnie and Wendy. Like Brian, Rovell also had a singing career and was a part of two girl groups. According to AllMusic, Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford, at 12, formed a trio, “the Rovell Sisters,” in 1961 with her sisters Diane and Barbara. Later, their cousin Sandra Glantz, aka Ginger Blake, replaced Barbara.

Through producer Gary Usher, the trio met Brian Wilson, who rechristened them as “the Honeys.” In the subsequent years, Marilyn formed “American Spring” with her sister Diane, while the Beach Boys co-founder served as the producer. Meanwhile, she also married Brian Wilson in December 1964. She gave birth to Carnie and Wendy in 1968 and 1969, respectively.

Brian Wilson struggled with mental health issues and substance abuse during the ‘60s and the ‘70s, which seemingly impacted his marriage. The singer’s eldest daughter, Carnie, recounted in the 1995 documentary Brian Wilson: I Just Wasn't Made for These Times,

“My memories of him are him wandering from room to room. Who knows what he was thinking in his head? Mum [Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford] would say, ‘Your father’s not like other dads. But he has this gift, and no-one will ever be able to take that away.’”

According to Marie Claire, Brian Wilson’s drug problem and mental health issues seemingly became the key reasons behind his divorce from Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford. She separated from the Beach Boys singer-songwriter in 1978 and filed for divorce the following year.

Per Hollywood Life, Brian was also allegedly involved in an extra-marital affair with Diane Rovell, Marilyn’s sister, which might have been another contributing factor. Wilson reflected upon the challenging phase of his life in a 1988 interview with The Times (via the New York Post),

“I lost interest in writing songs. I lost the inspiration. I was too concerned with getting drugs to write songs.”

The musician’s infidelity and life during the ‘70s were the subject of multiple books. Some of the notable works include David Leaf’s The Beach Boys and the California Myth, Steven Gaines’ Heroes and Villains: The True Story of the Beach Boys, Jon Stebbins’ Dennis Wilson: The Real Beach Boy, and more.

Brian Wilson was allegedly involved with Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford’s sister, Diane Rovell

The singer-songwriter gained prominence in the ‘60s for being one of the founding members of the Beach Boys. Later, Brian also collaborated with his future wife Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford and her sister on the Honeys and American Spring. Diane Rovell’s interaction with the musician reportedly inspired the Beach Boys’ song Don't Hurt My Little Sister.

According to Tony Asher, Brian’s co-writer, the singer was “definitely infatuated by” Diane. He also stated (via Far Out Magazine),

“Brian was really just so naive. [...] He’d stop in the middle of writing a song or a conversation or whatever and start going on about Diane, about how innocent, sweet, and beautiful she was.”

According to Hollywood Life, Brian reportedly had an affair with Diane and another woman named Debbie Keil, simultaneously. At the same time, he allegedly encouraged Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford to date others. His relationship with his sister-in-law also inspired the Beach Boys’ song "My Diane" from M.I.U. Album.

Eventually, Marilyn and Brian parted ways. The former married Daniel Rutherford, while the latter tied the knot with Melinda Ledbetter. Decades later, Marilyn sued Brian, alleging that he owed her over $6.7M in royalties, per Reuters. However, the former couple was seemingly on good terms and met each other in May 2024. Carnie posted the picture of their meeting on Instagram.

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More than a year later, Brian passed away on June 11, 2025. He was preceded in death by his wife, Melinda, and is survived by his seven children.

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