Anthony Kiedis’ Girlfriend Eileen Kelly Says He’s “One Lucky Bastard” in Age-Gap Relationship Essay

Anthony Kiedis’ girlfriend Eileen Kelly has written about the benefits of their age-gap relationship, describing her boyfriend as “one lucky bastard” in a new Vogue column. The 30-year-old sex educator and columnist began dating the Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman earlier this year, highlighting their 33-year age difference in an essay titled “My Boyfriend Is Double My Age.”

Kelly explained that while the age gap might seem alarming to some, she sees advantages in dating someone significantly older. “There is something to be said for a man who’s simply had more time to get his shit together,” she wrote, adding that her boyfriend “seems genuinely excited to be with me — not like he’s biding his time before he can swipe for someone better.” She emphasized that he is fully aware of his good fortune in the relationship.

The couple met at a birthday party and quickly connected after discovering a shared connection to Hawaii, where Kiedis owns a home. Kelly recalled joking about whether they had ever crossed paths on the same stretch of sand or stood in line at the same health food store before realizing their lives had intertwined in other ways.

Kelly acknowledged that the relationship has drawn criticism, noting she has lost a friend over it and has been mistaken for Kiedis’ daughter on multiple occasions. She addressed societal perceptions, observing that older men dating younger women are often labeled “creepy” or accused of having ulterior motives, while the women are assumed to have “daddy issues” or be gold-diggers.

Reflecting on the maturity of their dynamic, Kelly stated that if she were younger, the power imbalance would be more pronounced. “If I were 18, or even 21, the scales would be weighted far differently,” she said. “We’re mostly just two people doing the ongoing, unremarkable work of moving through life together.”

Kiedis, who is 63, has had several high-profile relationships in the past, including with actress Ione Skye in the late 1980s and rumored flings with Sinead O’Connor and Mel C in the 1990s. He previously disclosed in his autobiography Scar Tissue that he had sexual relations with a 14-year-old girl when he was 23.

In related news, the Netflix documentary The Rise Of The Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel, which focuses on the band’s early history and the late guitarist Hillel Slovak, premiered last month. Although the band distanced themselves creatively from the project, Flea praised the film, calling it “a beautifully made film” that “filled my heart right to the top, not without a good dose of lifelong melancholy.”

The documentary garnered attention for using AI to replicate Slovak’s voice from his personal journals, a technique the filmmakers disclosed upfront. In a 2022 cover interview with NME, Kiedis reflected on Slovak’s enduring influence, saying, “The energy of Hillel Slovak has never truly faded,” and expressed regret that his bandmate missed appearing on the group’s first recording.