Red Bank, N.J., businessman Arthur J. Kelly accused his wife Ann C. Kelly of having an affair with Springsteen, claiming the alleged dalliance is the reason his 17-year marriage broke up, according to the Star-Ledger.
“The defendant has committed adultery with one Bruce Springsteen, who resides in Rumson, N.J., and Colts Neck, N.J., at various times and places too numerous to mention,” stated Arthur Kelly in divorce papers filed last month.
A rocker being named in a divorce filing is hardly news, but Springsteen is hardly just a rocker. Furthermore, since Springsteen’s wife Patti Scialfa is also a member of the E Street Band, Kelly’s divorce filing is bound to cause some awkward moments between The Boss and the local press at stops on the current Working On A Dream tour.
Responding to news of the divorce filing, a Springsteen representative said the artist stands by a statement made when allegations of infidelity surfaced in 2006. At that time Springsteen said:
“I hesitate to use this website for anything personal believing it should remain a place where fans of my music can come free of the distractions that occasionally arise with the rest of my job.
“However, due to the unfounded and ugly rumors that have appeared in the papers over the last few days, I felt they shouldn’t pass without comment. Patti and I have been together for 18 years – the best 18 years of my life. We have built a beautiful family we love and want to protect and our commitment to one another remains as strong as the day we were married.”
In 2006 tabloids reported Springsteen was having an affair with a 9/11 widow he met while planning his 2002 release, The Rising. Commenting on those reports in 2007, Scialfa told reporters that her family laughed at the tabloid accounts, with one of her kids pointing out, “It says Dad's living in the barn. Mom, Dad's over there making pancakes.”
Click here for the Star-Ledger’s coverage.