Metallica's James Hetfield Gets Engaged to Girlfriend Adriana Gillett in Underwater Proposal

Erin ClackMon, March 16, 2026 at 2:17 PM UTC

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James Hetfield and Adriana GillettCredit: addygillett/Instagram -

Metallica frontman James Hetfield is engaged to Adriana Gillett, the band announced on Instagram on March 15

A photo of the proposal reveals that Hetfield popped the question underwater while the pair were scuba diving together

Gillett also shared the news on her Instagram, quipping, "In a sea full of fish, we caught each other"

Metallica frontman James Hetfield popped the question to his girlfriend, Adriana Gillett — and he made a big splash doing it.

The band announced the couple's engagement on its official Instagram account on Sunday, March 15, sharing a photo of the proposal, which took place underwater. James, 62, and Adriana can be seen wearing scuba gear as the musician held a piece of paper that said, "Adriana Gillett will you marry me?"

Adriana held a ring box and gave a thumbs-up gesture to the camera, confirming that she gave James the answer he hoped for.

"She said yes!" Metallica captioned the post.

Adriana also shared the engagement news on her own Instagram, posting the same underwater photo, as well as a close-up of a whale shark. In the caption, she revealed more details about the singer and guitarist's surprise proposal.

"The BEST birthday trip surprise 🎉Swimming with whale sharks on Friday the 13th 👀 with the most unique, special, and romantic proposal a Pisces could ever imagine 💍," she wrote. "In a sea full of fish, we caught each other 🩵. Thank you God for putting us together 🐋🦈."

Photographer Lee Jeffries, who has shot portraits and tour photos for Metallica, commented on Adriana's post, calling the engagement "amazing news."

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James Hetfield and Adriana Gillett in 2024Credit: Taylor Hill/WireImage

"I’ve witnessed the beautiful connection you share, and it’s something truly real… built on depth, understanding, and the experiences of lives already richly lived," he wrote. "Perhaps even shaped by the chapters that came before, which make what you share now feel all the more meaningful. The way you connect with each other is genuinely special.""What a way to propose!" he added.

Adriana frequently shares glimpses of the couple's life together on Instagram, including their travels around the world, time spent with family and outings to concerts. For Valentine's Day last year, she posted several loved-up photos of herself and James, calling him "my love."

"When you truly see all of each other and only love them more- you know you have your person!! Thank God ❤️," she added in the post's caption.

In an October 2024 post, featuring photos of the couple's visit to the Iron Mountain Hot Springs in Colorado, Adriana described James as "the joy of my life," adding, "He makes me the happiest gal alive!"

Adriana Gillett and James Hetfield at the 'Metallica Saved My Life' screening in N.Y.C. on June 11, 2025Credit: Roy Rochlin/WireImage

When the rocker turned 61 in 2024, Adriana shared a look at his birthday celebrations. "Happiest birthday to this amazing man!!! So grateful for him and all the joy he brings ❤️ enjoying it with family, friends, gigs, and Boston!!!" she wrote.

James was previously married to Francesca Hatfield. The pair wed in 1997 and announced that they were divorcing in 2022. They share three children, daughters Cali, 27, and Marcella, 24, and son Castor, 25.

Metallica is set to kick off a European leg of their M72 World Tour on May 9 in Athens, Greece. The heavy metal band will make stops in 12 cities, including London, Dublin, Berlin, Zurich, Budapest, Hungary, and Bologna, Italy.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”