Recent news of Metallica frontman James Hetfield’s engagement to Adriana Gillett has sparked a wave of reactions online—including candid comments from his ex-wife, Francesca Tomasi.
The engagement itself was revealed via a unique underwater proposal, with Hetfield holding a sign reading, “Adriana Gillett, will you marry me?”—a moment later confirmed with the caption, “She said yes!”
However, the conversation around the announcement quickly took a more personal turn. In response to a post on a Metallica fan page, Tomasi shared her thoughts: “Well, what a shock to find this out through social media instead of getting a heads up. I see the silent ‘FU’ is still happening. Am I bitter? Absolutely not. I’m saddened and heartbroken that he gave up his family to further surround himself with enablers and his addiction. I wish them the best.”
She later added in a separate comment: “I no longer have the need to protect him. Just my kids!”
The discussion continued after Metal Addicts published an article about the situation. When a fan commented on their Instagram post, “What does she mean ‘addiction,’ James is sober 18? Years now,” Tomasi replied: “His full addictions were never spoken about publicly.”
Hetfield’s struggles with addiction have been part of his story for years. The Metallica frontman entered rehab in 2001 during the making of St. Anger, a turbulent time for the band that was later documented in Some Kind of Monster. After maintaining sobriety for many years, he returned to rehab again in 2019 following a relapse, putting his health and personal life first.
Hetfield and Tomasi met in 1992, married in 1997, and divorced in 2022. They have three adult children together: Cali, 27, Marcella, 24, and Castor, 25.
