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Rock Duo The White Stripes’ Decades-Long Sibling Deception Unveiled
One of the most prominent rock bands of the 2000s, The White Stripes, known for their hit song Seven Nation Army, maintained for years they were siblings, an assertion that masked their actual marital history. The Detroit-formed group, featuring Jack White and Meg White, who released their debut album in 1999, perpetuated the sibling narrative for a significant period.
Origins in Detroit and the Sibling Myth
Initially establishing their band in Detroit, Michigan, Jack and Meg White first encountered each other at the Memphis Smoke restaurant during their high school years. Meg was employed there, and Jack, then known as Jack Gillis, frequented open mic nights. From the start, Jack insisted publicly that Meg was his sister.
Denials and Doubling Down
In interviews, Jack White consistently referred to Meg as his “big sister.” As rumors circulated suggesting a husband-and-wife relationship, Jack White vehemently denied them. He stated to NME, “We’re brother and sister. Someone started a rumor about how we used to be married and we played along with it. That was a bad idea, we get asked this all the time now.”
Truth Emerges: Marriage and Subsequent Divorce
Eventually, the reality of their relationship surfaced. Keen observers noted the intense connection between Jack and Meg White, and ultimately, their marriage certificate was made public. In 2002, Jack White conceded, “We’ve given up. People can say whatever they want at this point. It never mattered to us. We were never trying to create this.”
Further details revealed that Jack and Meg had divorced prior to the widespread success of Seven Nation Army. They reportedly employed the sibling fabrication to cultivate intrigue around their band.
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Rationale Behind the Deception
Jack White later elaborated on their reasoning: “I want you to imagine if we had presented ourselves in another fashion, that people might have thought was the truth. How would we have been perceived, right off the bat? When you see a band that is two pieces, husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, you think. ‘Oh, I see…’ When they’re brother and sister, you go, ‘Oh, that’s interesting.’”
He added, “You care more about the music, not the relationship – whether they’re trying to save their relationship by being in a band.” Some fan theories also suggest Jack White aimed to shield Meg White from being perceived merely as a former partner capitalizing on his success.
Post-White Stripes Era
The White Stripes officially disbanded in 2011. Jack White is currently married to his third wife, Olivia Jean, whom he wed in 2022. Meg White married Jackson Smith in 2009; however, they divorced in 2013.