As a child, Liv Tyler would tuck in her teddy bears and talk to a poster of Steven Tyler above her bed—unaware he was her real father. She felt a deep connection to him, even before knowing the truth.
Liv, now 47, rose to fame in the ’90s with films like Empire Records and Armageddon, but her early life was marked by confusion about her paternity. She was raised believing Todd Rundgren, her mother Bebe Buell’s partner at the time, was her father. Rundgren lovingly took on the role, despite suspecting Liv was actually Steven Tyler’s daughter.
Buell, a former Playboy model, had affairs with several rock legends during the free-spirited 1970s—including a brief relationship with Steven Tyler in 1976, which resulted in Liv’s birth in 1977.
The truth began to surface when Liv was around nine and met Steven Tyler at a concert. She felt an instant, inexplicable bond. Later, at an Aerosmith show, Liv saw Tyler’s daughter Mia—who looked exactly like her. That moment led Buell to reveal the truth.
Despite the complicated beginnings, Liv remains close to both men. She credits their musical eccentricity for grounding her in her own life, calling them “unicorns or wizards” and appreciating the roles they both played.