Metallica’s James Hetfield Gets Engaged To Girlfriend During Scuba Dive

James Hetfield pulled off a proposal for the ages last week. The Metallica frontman popped the question to girlfriend Adriana Gillett on Friday (March 13) during a scuba diving excursion. Hetfield, 62, shared a snap from the special moment on Metallica’s Instagram, which featured an image of the singer/guitarist underwater in a mask and scuba gear holding up a sign reading: “Adriana Gillett Will You Marry Me?”

Floating next to him in the clear blue water was fashion designer Gillett, 45, holding up the ring box and making a thumbs-up with her left hand. The caption? “She said yes!”

Gillett also shared the good news on her Instagram, reposting the same pic and writing, “The BEST birthday trip surprise 🎉Swimming with whale sharks on Friday the 13th 👀 with the most unique, special, and romantic proposal a Pisces could ever imagine 💍 In a sea full of fish, we caught each other 🩵 Thank you God for putting us together 🐋🦈.”

Hetfield filed for divorce from his wife of 25 years, costume designer Francesca Tomasi, in 2022, with whom he shared two daughters, Cali, 27 and Marcella, 24, and a son, Castor, 25. The Metallica frontman and London native Gillett reportedly began dating in 2023.

The happy couple will have a few months to enjoy newlywed status before Metallica cranks up their three-year-old M72 world tour again on May 9 with a show at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece, followed by a May 13 show in Bucharest, Romania and a May 19 stop in Chrozow, Poland. After the summer run of European and U.K. dates, Metallica will kick off their 24-show run at Las Vegas’ Sphere on Oct. 1.