Rachel Hunter, the supermodel who starred as Stacy's mother in Fountains of Wayne's 2003 music video for "Stacy's Mom," now looks completely different at age 57, having embraced a wellness-focused lifestyle.
The video, released by power-pop outfit Fountains of Wayne, became an instant staple of 2000s MTV culture. It follows a teenage boy infatuated with his schoolmate Stacy's mother, sending up suburban adolescent angst and drawing heavily on visual and thematic elements from the 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High, particularly the iconic Phoebe Cates swimming pool sequence.
Hunter, who was 33 during filming, delivered a memorable performance that fuelled the video's huge pop-culture crossover success. After the video's success, she continued with modelling, reality television and acting work.
From reality TV to wellness retreats
She moved into reality TV, appearing as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars (Season 1) and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, while serving on judging panels for New Zealand's Got Talent and RuPaul's Drag Race. She also made guest appearances in various films and television programmes.
In 2015, Hunter presented Rachel Hunter's Tour of Beauty, an international travel series examining beauty secrets, longevity practices and health rituals from cultures across 150 countries.
What is Rachel Hunter doing now?
Now 57, Hunter has largely withdrawn from mainstream celebrity entertainment to focus on wellness and spiritual health. After turning to yoga to tackle chronic back pain, she completed more than 500 hours of official teacher training in India.
Today she works as an international yoga, breathwork and meditation instructor, running retreats in destinations including Bali, India and New Zealand. While her primary focus is mindfulness, she still takes on selective modelling work, championing anti-ageism and natural beauty, and collaborates with organic skincare companies.
Hunter currently divides her time between Los Angeles, India and Aotearoa (New Zealand).
Romantic relationships and family
Rachel remains single, though she shares two children — daughter Renee and son Liam — with her former husband, rock legend Rod Stewart.
Hunter was only 21 when she met Stewart at a Los Angeles nightclub in 1990. The couple married three months later in December 1990 and parted ways in 1999 after almost nine years together, with their divorce finalised in 2006.
The couple separated mainly due to their 24-year age difference and Hunter's wish to discover her own identity after marrying so young. When Hunter chose to leave in 1999, Stewart was utterly taken aback, later revealing the heartbreak "tore him to shreds." Despite the split, both have since shown mutual respect and comprehension about why the choice had to be made.
Before her marriage, Hunter was romantically linked with Kip Winger, lead singer of the heavy metal group Winger. Following her relationship with Rod, she was romantically involved with Canadian NHL ice hockey player Jarret Stoll from 2006 to 2009. The pair got engaged in 2008, but Stoll cancelled the wedding a mere seven weeks before their planned August 2009 nuptials.
