Ric Ocasek, Paulina Porizkova split after 28 years of marriage
Musician Ric Ocasek and wife model Paulina Porizkova attend the premiere of "Girls" in Manhattan in 2013. Credit: AP/Invision/Evan Agostini
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ric Ocasek, of The Cars, and his wife, author and former model Paulina Porizkova, have ended their decades-long marriage.
"Our family always has been -- and still is -- a well-built car. When the four of us are together, we can go wherever the road takes us," wrote the Czechoslovakia-born Porizkova, 53, on Instagram. "But as a bicycle, my husband and I no longer pedal in unison. So, we're ditching the bicycle. Ric and I have been peacefully separated for the past year. The photos of our happy family are, in fact, happy family photos; we are just no longer a couple."
Ocasek, who is either 69 or 74 according to different sources, has not commented publicly. He and Porizkova, who married on Aug. 23, 1989, have two adult children, sons Jonathan, born in 1993, and Oliver, born in 1999.
"The love we have for one another is so wide and deep it's practically tangible, and that sort of love can never disappear. Expect to keep seeing happy family photos," wrote Porizkova, who in 1984 at age 19 became the youngest model and the first Eastern European to appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. "As I'm sure you can understand, out of respect for our children and each other, we'll not be commenting further (here or elsewhere) at this time," she concluded. The couple live in Manhattan
This was Porizkova's first marriage. She had met Ocasek in 1984 while starring in The Cars' music video for "Drive." Ocasek has been married three times. Following a youthful first marriage, from which he has two sons, he was married to Suzanne Otcasek, who uses the original spelling of his surname. That couple, who separated in 1987 after 17 years of marriage, have sons Eron and Derek.
Ocasek and fellow Cars members Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes, David Robinson and the late Benjamin Orr were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, on April 14. Porizkova posted Instagram photos and video from the event, which she attended with Ocasek and their sons.
The Cars, formed in Boston in 1976, had a string of hits including "Good Times Roll," "My Best Friend's Girl," "Just What I Needed" and "Let's Go."
