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'Bob Dylan Hair' Goes to Dan Auerbach's Ex in Divorce Settlement

By Brett Snider, Esq. on August 23, 2013 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach has finalized his divorce, leaving his ex with millions of dollars... and an asset listed as "Bob Dylan hair."

The reference to the highly coveted coif of 72-year-old folk star Bob Dylan was included in Auerbach's settlement with his ex-wife Stephanie Gonis, ending a fairly heated divorce battle between the two, reports The Huffington Post.

While it's not clear what Gonis will do with the "Bob Dylan hair," the settlement shows that all property can be considered for a divorce.

The Ballad of Bob Dylan's Hair

Reports have yet to surface on how the couple came to first possess the hair of the "Mr. Tambourine Man" singer, but TMZ reports that divorce documents recount that the former couple "own[ed] an asset described as 'Bob Dylan Hair'."

Although we can split... well... hairs about whether "Bob Dylan Hair" is equivalent to something like a few strands or locks, or even a wig in the style of Dylan's disheveled do, this asset was apparently key to finalizing the couple's divorce settlement.

As with most divorce cases, Gonis and Auerbach were attempting to settle their affairs outside of court in an attempt to save money and time. But their agreement still required the approval of a court in Tennessee.

The approved settlement agreement entitled Gonis to collect several other non-hair assets in the divorce including:

  • One of the family homes,
  • A 2012 Toyota Highlander, and
  • $5 million.

Since Tennessee is an separate property state, absent a settlement agreement, Gonis may have received much less from a court ruling if she was not the higher earning spouse.

'Goodbye Babylon' and Hairy Divorces

Although it appears that Auerbach's split with Gonis had its roots in a February break-up, according to HuffPo, divorce cases can often take up to a year or longer to resolve.

The process of moving from a divorce petition to settlement or a final court decision can take several years if the parties are unwilling to make reasonable compromises.

Asking for "Bob Dylan hair" might not sound like a reasonable compromise, but Auerbach's release of the famous tresses may have saved him from another year of painful divorce proceedings.

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