Who is Tom Petty’s ex-wife Jane Benyo? Where is she now? Her Bio: Net Worth Today, Age, Height, Ethnicity, Affair, Divorce, Death, Family

• Jane Benyo is the ex-wife of the rock legend, Tom Petty.
• They had a troubled marriage based on drug abuse and depression by both Tom and Jane.
• Jane was the inspiration for the song Edge of Seventeen.
• Following the divorce, Jane has led a low-key life away from the media spotlight.
• Jane is expected to receive a share of Tom Petty's fortune after his death.



Known for movies



Who is Jane Benyo?

Jane Benyo was born in Gainesville, Florida USA, but her birthdate is omitted from all major sites. She came to prominence as the wife of the rock legend, Tom Petty, and their troubled marriage. Though the couple was together for more than 20 years, they apparently had a lot of problems, mostly based on drug abuse and depression by both Tom and Jane.

Early Life, Parents, Ethnicity, and Education

There is little information about Jane’s early life, this includes her parents’ identity, and whether she has any siblings or not. She grew up in her hometown of Gainesville, where she went to high school, and where Jane and Tom’s relationship started when the two were just teenagers.

First Meeting with Tom Petty

They started a romantic relationship following their first encounter, and as it developed they started living together. Following their high school matriculation, Tom pursued his musical career, but just before he made his big break, the two decided to set foundations ror a long-lasting relationship by organizing their wedding ceremony.

Popularity Through Marriage

The couple married on the 26th March 1976 in their hometown; Tom was yet a star, and the wedding ceremony was just a regular one with friends and family. However, just two years later Tom released his debut studio album with his group The Heartbreakers, which achieved gold status in the USA, making him a rising star. Tom’s career improved year after year, and he ultimately became a rock legend, with such hit albums as “Damn the Torpedoes” (1979), which achieved triple platinum status in the US, and double platinum in Canada, then “Hard Promises” (1981), which was platinum in the US and Canada. Tom enjoyed success throughout the ‘80s, crowning his career in 1991 with the multiple platinum solo album “Full Moon Fever”. With Tom’s popularity, Jane was also becoming more popular, and was seen next to Tom during various events, both charity and professional, though she chose to devote herself to family.

Troubles in Paradise and Divorce

Unfortunately, it wasn’t all milk and honey for the two, as Jane started using drugs and would behave abusively towards Tom and their children. This further led to Jane’s depression and other mental health issues, and Tom, once realizing his marriage had gone out of control, succumbed to drugs as well. After 22 years of marriage, the couple officially divorced.

Jane Benyo Children

Jane gave birth to Tom and her first child even before they decided to marry; Adria Petty was born on the 28th of November 1974. She is now a director, editor and art director, known to the world for directing such music videos as “Princess of China”, performed by Coldplay and Rihanna, then Beyonce’s “Countdown”, and “Sweet Dreams”, while she also collaborated with her father on the song “Don’t Pull Me Over”. She also worked with Regina Spektor several times, Macy Gray, and Duffy, among many other musicians. Jane and Tom’s second child, Kimberly Violet, is a social media star and a fashion enthusiast, with over 30,000 followers on her official Instagram page.

Do You Know How Rich Jane Benyo Is Now?

Famous only for being the ex-wife of the legendary musician, Jane got her fair share after the divorce, although there are no exact details in regard to the amount, but it is assumed that it was in millions, making Jane’s financial situation safe and sound. Now, with the unfortunate and premature death of Tom Petty in 2017, Jane is also expected to receive a share of his fortune that was estimated at around $75 million before his death.

The inspiration for the Song “Edge of Seventeen”

According to several major websites, Jane was used as an inspiration to Stevie Nicks for the famous song “Edge of Seventeen”. Tom and Stevie knew each other and when Tom introduced Stevie to his then girlfriend Jane, Stevie asked her how old she was. When Jane said she was 17, Stevie misheard it as “edge of seventeen”, which inspired her to write the song with the same title, which went on to earn a Grammy Award- nomination in the category for the best female rock vocalist.

Depression and Drug Abuse

As Tom was becoming more and more popular, he had less and less time for her wife and children; this made Jane extremely lonely and sad. She found solace in drugs and ultimately became abusive towards her husband and their two children. When Tom’s biography “Petty: The Biography”, was published in 2015, he spoke of Jane as mentally ill, though their daughter Adria defended her, saying that she loved Tom truly and deeply, but he neglected her, which led to their problems.

Life Since Divorce

Following her falling-out with Tom, Jane has led a low-key life, away from the media spotlight and all the problems that marked her life. Though she re-emerged in the media following Tom’s death in 2017, she decided not to make any statements about their life or his death.

Source: IMDb, Wikipedia