Gene Simmons' Daughter Sophie Just Got Engaged
KISS bassist Gene Simmons' family has a reason to celebrate. His daughter, Sophie Simmons, and her boyfriend James Henderson got engaged one day before her 30th birthday. Sophie followed in her father's footsteps by pursuing a music career and appeared on Gene Simmons Family Jewels.
Sophie announced the news on her Instagram Story Wednesday, when she shared a video of Henderson's proposal, reports Page Six. "No birthday can top this," she captioned the video. Sophie later shared a black-and-white photo of her diamond engagement ring. "This is the time," she wrote. She published the post from Zurich.
It is unclear how long Sophie and Henderson dated before getting engaged since she kept their relationship out of the spotlight. Sophie referred to this in a joint statement from the couple she shared on her Instagram Story Saturday. "We keep our private life pretty low key, so we can be in a bubble together, but thank you so much for all the engagement well-wishes, and birthday wishes," she wrote. She also noted that Henderson does not use social media.
Sophie is Simmons' daughter with Shannon Tweed, and she also has an older brother, 33-year-old musician Nick Simmons. After Gene Simmons Family Jewels ended in 2012, Sophie began her own music career. She auditioned for The X Factor Season 2 but was eliminated early on. She released several singles between 2015 and 2021 and recorded songs with Sam Feldt, Felix Carral, Frank Walker, and Yellow Claw. Sophie also has a modeling career and focuses on promoting body positivity.
The couple got engaged the same day KISS performed their End of the Road farewell tour show in Zurich. The band performed "Happy Birthday" for Sophie, reports PEOPLE. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band plans to extend their farewell tour, and Simmons has no clue when it will end.
"We don't know. We've never retired before. This is our first time," Simmons, 72, recently told Chaoszine. "It's like painting a painting or writing a book. When somebody says, 'When is it gonna be finished?' You're in the middle of it; you don't know." The group already added 100 cities to the tour, which was announced in 2018.
"All that we have built and all that we have conquered over the past four decades could never have happened without the millions of people worldwide who've filled clubs, arenas, and stadiums over those years," Simmons and his band mates Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer, and Eric Singer said in 2018. "This will be the ultimate celebration for those who've seen us and a last chance for those who haven't."