Van Halen's Sammy Hagar Shares ‘Dangerous' Mistake Couples Make in Long Marriages

After 31 years of marriage, Van Halen frontman SammyHagar has some relationship advice to share.

The rocker spoke to People about his relationship tips.

"I really think that you need passion in the relationship," he said.

"We don't sleep in separate bedrooms, man. And when that's over, when you're not really still physically and emotionally attracted to your partner, I think that's a dangerous thing," Hagar said. "You have to figure out how to keep that going. That's my opinion."

The musician sees passion as a necessity in a relationship. He and his wife, KariKarteHagar, have seen a long and successful marriage with this advice. They also share two daughters.

Hagar met Karte in the 1990s at a shared friend's birthday party. He was previously married to BetsyBarardi in 1968, but they divorced in 1994.

"I met her and we saw each other again and again and after about the third time we just stayed together," the "I Can't Drive 55" singer shared. The pair married in 1995.

At 78 years old, Hagar believes couples should be equals.

"I'll be serious about this because, you know, the first thing you say is, 'happy wife, happy life,' but one thing is that we're equals," he said. "We'll get into it like all couples, but we're always equal - there's no her under my thumb, or me under her thumb."

Ultimately, Hagar believes the secret to a long marriage is seeing your partner as an equal without losing any passion.

"Having a great physical and emotional relationship is so important," he shared.

"The Red Rocker" has another long-term relationship that is important to him. He has been friends with Rick Springfield for over 50 years.

Hagar is going on his "Best of All Worlds" tour this summer, and Springfield will join him for eight shows in June.

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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 7:03 PM.