How Dave Grohl’s idyllic ‘family man’ image was shattered: Rocker gushed about ‘putting his daughters first’ by rejecting gigs and doing the daily school run (while failing to mention his wife Jordyn Blum) – before revealing he fathered a secret love child

Dave Grohl surprised the showbiz world on Tuesday when he admitted that he fathered a daughter out of wedlock with his wife Jordyn Blum.

The Foo fighters The 55-year-old hitmaker may be best known for his heavy rock anthems, but has also spoken openly about his devotion to his family and his three daughters Violet (18), Harper (15) and Ophelia (10).

Since becoming a father for the first time, Dave has given a glimpse into his home life in a series of interviews, emphasizing that he has always put his “family first.”

His commitment also includes pulling out of performances if they clash with important family events and going to school every day. But he has never been so open about his 21-year marriage.

Speculation is now rife as to whether Dave and Jordan’s marriage will survive the shocking confession of infidelity. Sources previously claimed that Dave has already hired a divorce lawyer.

MailOnline looks at some of the moments Dave spoke enthusiastically about his life as a devoted father, before the idyllic family image fell apart…

Saying they ‘don’t care’ that he’s a rock star

Although Dave has captivated millions with his hits as a member of The Foo Fighters, he has previously said that his children are not interested in his career.

In an interview shared by TURN In June he said: ‘If you have kids who don’t care, you’re a rock star.

“My kids don’t give a shit when I’m in Foo Fighters. They’re like, ‘Dad, I need a smoothie. Now.’ I’m like, ‘Okay…’

In 2008, the artist told People to the Time how parenthood has changed him and Blum.

We don’t talk about how much we drank last night [anymore]’ he told the newspaper.[Now] “It’s about how much we slept, how much the baby slept, diaper rash, bottle feeding.”

“We used to go on the road for three months at a time. It’s a struggle for me to go away for even twelve days. I realized that the life I always imagined would start when the band broke up has to start now.”

Cancellation of shows

In a 2018 interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Dave admitted that he had turned down major performances after being told he would miss one of his daughter’s birthdays. He even flew back from Australia between performances to attend a father-daughter dance party.

He said, ‘Sometimes I get a call from the manager, “Hey, you have an offer to play this big concert,” and I have to ask my daughter, “I know it’s the day after your birthday, but should I play this show or not?” and she says, “Absolutely not, it’s the day after my birthday!”

“And then I have to call my manager and say, ‘Sorry, I have to do it.'”

I’ve had a few that were pretty ridiculous. There was one time at a girls’ school where Daddy Dauhter had a dance party and it was on a free day between Adelaide and Perth.’

Dave then revealed that he had flown all the way from Australia to the US between the two shows to attend the dance, adding, “You gotta do what you gotta do!”

Performing TikTok Dances

Dave shows that he is always happy to support his daughter’s endeavors. He even showed off his dancing skills by participating in a TikTok dance trend with his daughter Harper.

In a video Harper posted in July, the duo gave their take on the Charli XCX Apple dance trend.

She captioned her post appropriately: “Dave Grohl is in his Brat era.”

Harper also has musical talent and when he appeared on The Graham Norton Show in 2021, he recalled the special moment when Paul McCartney gave Harper her very first piano lesson.

“We had some wine and pizza and just chilled out. It was time for Paul to go,” Dave explained at the time.

‘Paul and [his wife] Nancy left and when there was a piano in the corner of the room, he just couldn’t resist.’

Grohl added: “So he sits down at the piano and starts playing Lady Madonna in my f***ing house! I’m blown away. I can’t believe this is happening. This is the most complete, crazy moment of my entire life.”

The star then shared: ‘[Harper had] had never had lessons to play an instrument at that time, and she sat down and looked at his hands.’

“They sat together, he showed her what to play and they wrote a song together.”

Harper is also no stranger to performing on stage with her father. In 2018, she played drums with Dave and sister Violet during a benefit concert when they performed The Sky Is a Neighborhood.

Doing the school run

Dave previously talked about how determined he is to get his daughters to school every morning, and he also gave a glimpse into his morning routine during an appearance on Ellen in 2014.

He explained that his day starts at 5:45 a.m., after waking his daughters for school and preparing their “snack packs” for the day.

Dave continued, “While I’m preparing the snack packs, they come into the kitchen and I’ll prepare breakfast.

‘Once they have breakfast, I get them dressed, they get dressed, and then I load the backpacks and snacks into my minivan.

“And then I put them in the van and I sit in traffic for 45 minutes. Then I take them to school, drive 45 minutes back home and start my day.”

This comes after it was revealed that Dave, 55, had already hired a divorce lawyer before confessing to his infidelity.

In early August, Jordyn, who has been married to the rocker since 2003, may have hinted at marital troubles when she opted not to wear her engagement ring during a seemingly tense outing together in Los Angeles.

A source said People that Grohl had hired a divorce attorney before his social media announcement.

This comes just a day after he revealed in a statement on Instagram that he had a daughter with an unknown woman.

The statement read: ‘I recently became the father of a new baby daughter, born out of wedlock. I plan to be a loving and supportive parent to her.

“I love my wife and my children, and I am committed to earning their trust and forgiveness. We are grateful for your attention to all the children involved as we move forward together.”

The rock star, who is often described as a “family man,” has spoken about the importance of his family in interviews over the years.

In 2007, Grohl told The Guardian: ‘[My wife] Jordyn and [daughter] Violet is an anchor that keeps me from disappearing completely.’

Speaking to TIME in 2012, he said his family “changed everything I do.”

He added: ‘It’s changed everything I do. When you have kids, you see life through different eyes. You feel love more deeply and maybe you’re a little more compassionate. It’s inevitable that that finds its way into your songwriting.’

Grohl divorced his first wife Jennifer Leigh Youngblood in 1997 after admitting to cheating.

While little is known about Blum, People reported that she once appeared on the cover of Teen after being discovered in a grocery store at age 12.

News of Grohl’s infidelity came after he was last seen with Blum at Wimbledon in July.