Lana Del Rey married Jeremy Michael Dufrene, a Cajun airboat captain and alligator tour guide from Des Allemands, Louisiana, on 26 September 2024, just weeks after the pair went public. The singer — born Elizabeth Woolridge Grant — first met Dufrene five years earlier, deep in the Louisiana bayou. As Del Rey has since said, he is "the most impactful person in my life."
Who Is Jeremy Dufrene?
Jeremy Michael Dufrene is a Cajun swamp tour boat operator based in Des Allemands, Louisiana. He did not always work on a boat — he began his career at a chemical plant, where he often worked seven days a week and went fishing on his vacation days. According to his company biography, after some convincing by his family, he obtained his captain's licence and started running tours. He quickly realised that this was a great fit and has never thought of returning to his previous career at the plant.
Dufrene is an airboat captain with Arthur's Airboat Tours in Louisiana. As a captain, he guides tourists through the swamps and marshes, offering an experience with local wildlife including alligators, herons, egrets and over 300 species of birds.
Jeremy Dufrene's Age, Height, and Family
Jeremy Dufrene is 50 years old, having celebrated his milestone birthday on 21 March. With Jeremy being 50 and Lana being 40, there is a ten-year age gap between the pair. He stands at approximately 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm), with a solid build from years of physical work operating airboats.
Dufrene is also a father. He has two daughters and a son from a previous relationship: Conner (son), Dillon (son), and Kadence (daughter).
Jeremy Dufrene's Ex-Wife and Ex-Fiancée
Dufrene married his first wife, Gina Fahrig, with whom he shares two sons and one daughter. The marriage ended in divorce in 2013. After the divorce, Dufrene and Kelli Welsh rekindled their relationship. According to the Daily Mail, the former couple became engaged in 2012, one year after they reconnected. They ultimately called it quits in October 2023.
Welsh told the outlet: "I am in shock because we were engaged for 12 years, and he got married after one month." Welsh also maintained that Dufrene and Del Rey's love is real, despite the couple only being together for a short while. "It's not a fake happy — he truly is in love with her," she told the Daily Mail.
How Did Lana Del Rey and Jeremy Dufrene Meet?
Dufrene first met Del Rey when she performed at the BUKU Music + Art Project in Louisiana in March 2019. She went on a bayou boat tour with Dufrene as her guide, sharing photos on Instagram and Facebook with him, her friends, and of him kissing an alligator. She captioned a series of pictures on Facebook: "Jeremy lemme be captain at Arthur's Air Boat Tours," posing with a peace sign while he wore camo gear.
He has taken other celebrities on tour from time to time, including Kate Hudson, Emma Roberts, and Glen Powell.
From Acquaintances to Romance in 2024
They stayed in touch but did not begin a romantic relationship until reconnecting in early 2024, approximately five years after their initial meeting. In May 2024, Del Rey tagged Dufrene in the caption of an Instagram post featuring her brother and sister, writing "family w my guy @jeffrey.dufrene."
Dufrene and Del Rey were first romantically linked in August 2024 after a Reddit user snapped a photo of the two eating lunch together in London. A TikTok user then shared a brief video of the singer walking hand-in-hand with Dufrene at the Leeds Festival. Three months after their first tour reunion, Lana and Jeremy attended model Karen Elson's wedding in New York in September.
Why Did Lana Del Rey Marry Jeremy Dufrene?
Del Rey has opened up about why Dufrene won her heart — and it comes down to his unshakeable calm. She told Just Jared: "I realised pretty immediately that I loved him, but that it might get difficult because of what I was bringing to the table. Jeremy said, 'I work with alligators — I have tough skin.' And he is a man of his word. All the things that made me upset — and there were so many! — he would just listen and say, 'You be you — and I'll just love you more.'"
Del Rey called Dufrene "the most impactful person in my life" and said she wrote the song Stars Fell on Alabama about him.
The Wedding Ceremony
The couple married on 26 September 2024, according to a signed and returned marriage licence obtained by the Associated Press, which was filed in a Louisiana court on 18 October. Judah Smith, the celebrity pastor, officiated the ceremony, according to the marriage licence. The fifth track on Del Rey's 2023 album Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd is titled "Judah Smith Interlude," on which Smith is a credited co-writer.
According to photos obtained by the Daily Mail, Del Rey walked down the aisle with her dad, Robert Grant, and wore a whimsical, floor-length white gown with a scooped, ruffled neckline. Dufrene donned a three-piece suit. After the ceremony, paparazzi swarmed the couple with drones. Del Rey commented on a fan account's Instagram post: "Unfortunately, a local couple from Houma won't stop flying drones into our windows every morning and following us with a tracker. All that being said Jeremy is the one and only. And amazing. And we're very happy."
Latest News: Life After Marriage
In a 2026 interview with W magazine, Lana Del Rey shared more about her private life with husband Jeremy Dufrene, describing him as a calming presence who has supported her through the pressures surrounding their relationship. Del Rey said she realised almost immediately that she loved Dufrene but worried that her fame and complicated life could make things difficult.
Del Rey and Dufrene made their Fashion Week debut at Valentino's spring 2026 show at Paris Fashion Week. The couple made it a double date with Del Rey's photographer sister Caroline Grant, just days after celebrating their first wedding anniversary on 26 September.
Jeremy Dufrene continues to work as an alligator tour guide in Louisiana despite Del Rey's high-profile status and wealth. Dufrene's employer confirmed that his relationship with Del Rey has brought more business to their company, Airboat Tours by Arthur.
Del Rey said she expects her next album, Stove, to arrive in January 2026. She has been working on the country-inspired album for several years, spending time in Nashville with country producer Luke Laird and longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff.
Lana Del Rey has a net worth of $60 million in 2026, according to Celebrity Net Worth, earned through music royalties, global touring, fashion collaborations, and real estate investments.
