Metallica’s James Hetfield proposes to his girlfriend underwater during a whale shark dive
James Hetfield, frontman of Metallica, has announced his engagement to Adriana Gillett. The proposal took place on March 13, 2026, during a whale shark dive — on Gillett’s birthday, which fell on Friday the 13th.
Underwater, Hetfield held up a sign reading “Adriana Gillett, will you marry me?”. Metallica’s official Instagram account posted a photo of the pair with the caption “She said yes!”. Gillett shared the same image on her own profile, describing it as the best birthday surprise she could have imagined.
Gillett was born in London, attended the University of Oxford and previously worked as a reporter for The Times. This will be Hetfield’s second marriage. He was previously married to Francesca Tomasi from 1997 to 2022, and the former couple have three children together.
