She Called Todd Rundgren “Dad” for 11 Years – Then Learned Steven Tyler Was Her Real Father

She grew up as Liv Rundgren.She had a father who held her as a baby, signed her birth certificate, gave her his last name, and showed up for her every single day. His name was Todd Rundgren — one of rock music’s most brilliant and innovative artists, a gifted songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who had worked with legends from

The Band to Meat Loaf. To Liv, he was simply Dad.It was a good life. Creative, stable, and filled with music, art, and the warm bohemian spirit that defined Todd’s world. But it was also built on a secret that would eventually change everything Liv thought she knew about herself.To understand that secret, you have to understand her mother, Bebe Buell.In the 1970s, Bebe moved through the rock scene like a force of nature — beautiful, charismatic, and unforgettable. A successful model, a Playboy Playmate (November 1974), and one of the most magnetic women in a world full of rock stars.She had relationships with some of the era’s biggest names: Todd Rundgren, Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, Elvis Costello, and Steven Tyler — the wild, electrifying frontman of Aerosmith.Bebe wasn’t a groupie. She was an artist in her own right, living life on her own terms.In 1976, while in a relationship with Todd Rundgren, she also began an affair with Steven Tyler. In early 1977, she discovered she was pregnant.

She wasn’t sure who the father was.At that moment, Bebe made a choice that would shape the next decade of her daughter’s life.Steven Tyler in 1977 was spiraling. Aerosmith was at the peak of their fame, but Tyler was deep in the grip of addiction — cocaine, heroin, and alcohol. He was barely holding on. His life was chaos.Bebe looked at her newborn daughter, born on July 1, 1977, and made a difficult decision. She told Steven Tyler the baby wasn’t his. She told Todd Rundgren that she was.And Todd — fully aware of the uncertainty — chose to stay.He signed the birth certificate. He gave Liv his last name. He became her father in every sense of the word.Not because biology required it. Because love did.For the first eleven years of her life, Todd Rundgren was her dad.

Present, loving, and consistent. He raised her in a creative home, taught her about music and art, and was there for the everyday moments that matter most.Bebe kept the secret. Steven Tyler, believing the child wasn’t his, stayed away — though he would later admit he had always suspected the truth.Liv grew up believing Todd was her biological father.Until the signs became impossible to ignore.As a young girl, she attended an Aerosmith concert with her mother and met Steven Tyler backstage. Something felt strangely familiar. She noticed his mouth — the same shape as hers. She saw photos of Steven’s other daughter, Mia Tyler, and was struck by how much they looked alike.At around eleven years old, Bebe finally sat her down and told her the truth:Todd Rundgren was not her biological father. Steven Tyler was.

The man who had raised her, loved her, and been there every day wasn’t her father by blood. The rock star she had met backstage was.For most people, this kind of revelation would break everything apart. For Liv, it was far more complex.Because Todd didn’t disappear. He remained her father.And Steven Tyler — now sober and trying to rebuild his life — wanted a chance to know his daughter.Liv chose not to choose between them.She took the name Tyler, becoming Liv Tyler. She built a relationship with Steven, toured with Aerosmith, and connected with her half-sister Mia. But she never turned her back on Todd.Because Todd had done something rare and beautiful: he had raised a child who might not be his, knowing the truth the entire time, and loved her completely anyway.That’s not obligation.

That’s grace.Years later, Liv reflected on Todd’s role in her life: “He was my father. He raised me. Biology doesn’t change that.”Todd never expressed regret. He simply said, “I loved her mother. And I loved Liv. That was enough.”Steven Tyler, once sober, publicly acknowledged: “Todd did what I couldn’t do at the time. He was there. I’m grateful to him.”What could have been a painful, bitter story became something far more powerful — a testament to what family truly means.Bebe chose safety and stability for her daughter. Todd chose to stay and love a child without conditions. And Liv learned she could have two fathers: one who gave her life, and one who gave her a childhood.Today, Liv Tyler is a successful actress known for films like Empire Records, Armageddon, and The Lord of the Rings. She has her own family now — and two men she calls father.One who made her. One who raised her. Both of whom love her.