Gary Numan has admitted that the way he pursued his wife, Gemma O'Neill, when she was a teenager would likely be considered illegal under current laws. The 68-year-old musician, known for hits like 'Cars,' met O'Neill when she was an 11-year-old fan. They married in 1997 and have been together since.
Numan's Controversial Courtship
In an interview with The Times, Numan said: 'That's how I attracted her, which I think is illegal now.' He explained that after O'Neill stopped attending his concerts following her mother's sudden death, he used his fan club to obtain her phone number to check on her. When he called and said, 'Hello, it's me,' she hung up, thinking it was a prank.
He called again, and she quizzed him on personal details to confirm his identity. Numan then invited her on a road trip to a radio interview and took her to a Little Chef restaurant. 'I took her to a Little Chef because I'm very down to earth,' he said. 'I don't do all that flash, rich man, pop star stuff.'
O'Neill's Perspective
O'Neill described their first date as 'really cute,' recalling, 'I was so clumsy, I spilt tea on his mobile phone, and spilt dinner down myself – I remember cutting something on the plate and half of it went into my lap, and I was just, “Oh, nooo.” Then he took me home, and I was really hoping he'd ring again.'
The couple did not begin a proper relationship until nearly a year later, after Numan's previous relationship ended. O'Neill was in her 20s by the time they became committed. In an earlier interview, O'Neill shared that she first met Numan face-to-face when she was about 12 and he was 22. Her father, who worked at Warner Bros, arranged for her to get an autograph. 'I was completely overcome, I couldn't talk – I was crying, and I told him I really loved him,' she said.
