Fans of Tom Petty cannot wait to enjoy his tribute album, “Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty,” which will be released on June 21.
With Tom back on the timeline, netizens wonder if he is somehow related to actress Lori Petty.
Well, is he? Let’s find out!
Key Takeaways
- Although they share the same last name, Lori Petty and Tom Petty aren’t related.
- However, they did have a similar childhood, filled with pain and trauma.
Is Lori Petty Related To Tom Petty?
Lori Petty doesn’t share any relationship with Tom Petty, even though they have the same surname.
In a 2022 interview, Lori was asked if she was related to the late Tom Petty, to which the actress laughed and said no.
Nonetheless, Lori shared a story of how the late rockstar had once paid for her limousine service.
She was surprised when her accountant called and said he hadn’t received any bills from the limo service.
She said,
So he [accountant] calls the limousine company, and they said, ‘Oh, her dad paid,’ and he goes, ‘No, he didn’t.
Lori Petty
The actress continued,
They’re like, ‘Yeah, Tom Petty,’ and my accountant’s like,’No, that’s not her dad.’ So my dumb accountant sent Tom Petty like $500.
Lori Petty
Although they don’t have any blood relation, the legends do have one thing in common: a difficult childhood full of traumas.
Overcame A Tough Childhood
Tom was open about his abusive father and struggled when he was young.
“I was used to living in hell. My parents’ marriage was hell. I lived through being terribly abused as a kid,” said the guitarist.
His father, Earl Petty, a traveling salesman, was an alcoholic.
Since his mother, Kitty Petty, didn’t let him consume alcohol at home, he’d go out and come home drunk to take his anger out on his wife and children.
The late singer expressed his pain and said,
He beat me so bad that I was covered in raised welts from my head to my toes. I mean, you can’t imagine someone hitting a child like that.
Tom Petty
He added,
My mother and grandmother laid me in my bed, stripped me, and they took cotton and alcohol, cleaning these big welts all over my body.
Tom Petty
Likewise, Lori’s childhood was also filled with trouble.
She grew up with two younger sisters in Iowa in the presence of an abusive father.
After her mother left her father, she became addicted to drugs and became a prostitute to make ends meet.
Hence, all the responsibility of her sisters came to Petty’s shoulders.
Moreover, during her teen, Petty was sexually abused at the hands of someone she trusted.
Both superstars accepted their traumas and moved forward, creating their own legacy.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Lori Petty hasn’t been married yet and doesn’t have a kid.
- Tom Petty was married twice. He first wedded Jane Benyo in 1974 and had two daughters and Dana York in 2001.
- He passed away in 2017 at the age of 66 due to an accidental drug overdose.
