Age gaps usually make headlines. But not for Melanie Hamrick. At the New York City Ballet’s 2025 Spring Gala Thursday night, she breezed past the topic with a grin. “He’s younger than me!” she joked about her fiancé, Mick Jagger — who, for the record, is 81.
That’s not a typo. But if you ask Hamrick, age is hardly the most interesting part of their love story.
From Tokyo to the tabloids
Their story began on tour, fittingly. In 2014, while Jagger and the Rolling Stones rocked stadiums across Japan, Hamrick was on her own professional grind — touring with the American Ballet Theatre. It was a chance meeting, but one that stuck.
By 2016, they welcomed their son, Deveraux. He’s now 8 and already showing signs he inherited more than just a famous last name.
Hamrick beams when she talks about him. “No one taught him, no one influenced him,” she told Page Six. “He moved like that before he saw any of his dad’s concerts.”
Family first, wedding maybe later
The idea of marriage? Well, it’s on the table — just not the centerpiece.
Hamrick’s not racing down the aisle, and that’s just how she likes it. She’s balancing family life, raising Deveraux, and leaning into new creative directions. For someone who once spent her days pirouetting across stages, the pivot is striking — and intentional.
“I’ve taken a break from dancing,” she shared. “Right now, it’s about family. And writing.”
And she’s serious about that last part.
From center stage to centerfolds
Since retiring from professional ballet, Hamrick has authored two romance novels. Both are drenched in backstage drama and sensual tension, true to her roots in the dance world.
But her third book? That one’s different.
“It’s a modern retelling of ‘Giselle,’” she teased Thursday night. “It’s a big undertaking.”
There’s still heat in the pages, though. When asked if readers could expect another helping of smut, she laughed and said: “Of course. I’m not going to go away from my roots.”
That said, she’s dialing things back — just a bit. “It’s not going to be as heavy, ‘soft-porny,’ as you said,” she quipped to the reporter. “I want to slowly venture into more storytelling.”
The age thing? She’s over it
Let’s get back to the number everyone’s obsessed with — 44. That’s how many years separate Jagger and Hamrick. And frankly, she doesn’t care.
“He’s amazing,” she said simply. “He really is.”
It’s hard not to hear admiration in her voice. For someone who’s spent years in the limelight adjacent, she doesn’t sound rehearsed. She sounds like someone in a relationship that — gasp — works.
And honestly, that’s rare in her orbit.
• Jagger has dated everyone from fashion icon Bianca Jagger to the late L’Wren Scott. His personal life has been dissected for decades.
Yet here he is, at 81, with a partner who swears he’s the younger one — not just in energy, but in spirit.
Breaking the mold
Hamrick’s approach to public life feels refreshingly… unbothered. She doesn’t chase fame, but she doesn’t hide either. Instead, she shows up where it matters — whether that’s a ballet gala, a rare Instagram photo with Jagger and their son, or a book signing for her steamy novels.
And she’s doing it while raising a child, supporting a partner who still tours with one of the biggest rock bands in the world, and redefining her own second act. That’s no small feat.
Here’s a table showing her evolution:
| Year | Life Chapter | Notable Moment |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Dancer on tour | Meets Jagger in Japan |
| 2016 | New mother | Gives birth to Deveraux |
| 2020 | First-time author | Publishes debut novel set in ballet world |
| 2025 | Creative reinvention | Writing a modern “Giselle” with a steamy twist |
Deveraux isn’t just dancing in his parents’ shadows — he’s leaping into his own spotlight. Hamrick shares clips online of her son spinning, grooving, and stealing hearts.
“It’s in his genes,” she says, beaming.
Whether it’s ballet or books or motherhood, Hamrick moves with quiet precision. And sure, Jagger might be decades older. But in her eyes?
He’s the one trying to keep up.
