Before the world knew him as a rock legend, he was a young man facing decisions that would ripple through a lifetime.

A teenage father, unsure and unprepared, making choices that most people couldn’t imagine. Choices that would later bring joy, reunion, and complicated family stories.

Over the decades, he would become a global icon, filling stadiums and selling out tours. But at home, he was still navigating the messy, unpredictable world of fatherhood—again and again.

Through five different relationships, he became the father to eight children. Each one carved their own path, each one a piece of a puzzle that only he could hold together.

And the story of his oldest child alone is enough to make you pause.

At just 17, he became a dad. The baby girl he fathered was placed for adoption, a heartbreaking decision no teenager should have to make. And yet, years later, they found each other again in the most unexpected way.

It was a reunion neither of them could have planned, a moment charged with years of absence, curiosity, and the quiet question: What could have been?

Soon after, his second child entered the picture. Born in 1979, Kimberly Stewart was the first child with his then-wife. Growing up, she experienced both the spotlight of a celebrity household and the challenges of her parents’ eventual divorce.

But she didn’t let family drama define her. Instead, Kimberly made a name for herself in fashion. Covers of Tatler, American Vogue, and Elle were just the beginning.

And then, during quarantine in 2021, she pivoted in a way nobody saw coming.

“I couldn’t stand looking at the chaos going on in my dad’s pantry and kitchen,” she explained. That spark of frustration turned into a business idea: a luxury organization company she called The Realm by Kimberly Stewart.

Requests poured in, people fascinated by her ability to turn chaos into order. And just like that, she had built an entrepreneurial path that felt entirely her own.

Then came his eldest son, Sean, born a year later in 1980. Sean inherited more than just a famous last name—he inherited the drive to carve out his own identity.

Music was his first love, following in his dad’s footsteps. But the world also watched him on reality TV, on Sons of Hollywood in 2007, navigating fame, family, and the pressures of growing up in the limelight.

And when he turned his attention to fashion, Sean didn’t shy away. He launched a streetwear brand, Dirty Weekend, blending his own style with guidance from long-time friends. Scott Disick, for instance, was someone Sean turned to for advice on his brand.

Meanwhile, Ruby Stewart arrived in 1987, his fourth child, born during his relationship with a model. Ruby, unlike any of her siblings, leaned into entrepreneurship from the start.

She founded BESO Shade, a clothing line that combined fashion with functionality, creating protective sportswear for women who wanted style and performance.

Ruby’s Instagram is full of energy, a window into the world of a young woman crafting a legacy that doesn’t rely on her father’s fame, but is informed by it.

Then came Renee Stewart in 1992, the first daughter with his New Zealand model partner. Renee’s path diverged from entertainment and fashion. She found her calling in movement—dance, yoga, meditation, and wellness.

Her social media tells a story of someone deeply committed to self-expression and health, a reminder that not every child follows the celebrity blueprint.

Two years later, Liam McAlister Stewart arrived in 1994. Hockey became his world, with stints in the Western Hockey League and professional leagues in New Zealand.

He pursued the sport with dedication, a quieter but equally compelling testament to focus and ambition.

Then, in November 2005, Alastair Wallace Stewart was born, the first child with model Penny Lancaster.

Alastair stayed mostly out of the public eye, but his talents emerged in the pool. Swimming competitions, victories, and even Olympic dreams—he showed a determination reminiscent of his father’s own relentless drive.

Reports suggested Rod supported those aspirations fully, even planning a training pool at his U.K. mansion. The combination of athletic talent and a touch of modeling hints at a life both private and visible.

Finally, the youngest, Aiden Patrick Stewart, was born in 2011, also with Penny Lancaster. Still young, Aiden’s life is already shaped by moments of challenge and attention, a reminder that being part of a famous family brings both opportunity and scrutiny.

Across these eight children, there are threads of music, fashion, sports, and wellness. But there’s also something deeper—a story of reunion, discovery, and the unexpected ways family can shape lives across generations.

Each child, in their own way, carries pieces of the father who once had to make an impossible choice at 17. Each story reflects resilience, reinvention, and the complicated beauty of family.

And yet, even with fame and fortune, it’s the small, personal stories—the letters, the reunions, the quiet achievements—that resonate the most.

Because behind the glitz of stadiums and the flash of cameras is a man who, despite the chaos of life and love, has shown up for his kids—one way or another.

And the stories of his children? They’re still being written.