Rod Stewart responds to claims his 17-year marriage to Penny Lancaster has reached a ‘stalemate’

Rod Stewart has hit back at claims that he and wife Penny Lancaster are undergoing a “stalemate” in their 17-year marriage , after reports suggested he had refused to move back to the UK with her.

Earlier in the week, the Daily Mail reported that the couple were at war over the sale of their 28,000 sq ft Beverly Hills mansion. The “Forever Young” singer purchased the property – which features nine bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, and a football pitch – in 1991 for $12m. It is now reportedly worth $70m.

Stewart, 79, had reportedly promised Lancaster, 53, that they would return full-time to their Grade II-listed countryside mansion in Essex, which has 10 bedrooms.

In a post on Instagram on Thursday (29 August), the singer set the record straight on the rumours.

“There is absolutely no rift between Penny and I, and no disagreement on where we should reside, in fact it’s the opposite,” he explained.

“We moved permanently back to our beloved Britain a year ago but are fortunate to also have homes in different countries, which we love to visit,” he wrote.

“Originally we did think it made sense to sell our house in LA, but having spent a wonderful time there this summer with family and friends during my Vegas residency we realised that it makes sense to keep our house there.”

He emphasised, “Penny and I could not be more in love with each other after 27 glorious years. Please trust me on this... there’s no disharmony in our marriage.”

He signed off the post, “Rod ‘a very lucky man’ Stewart”.

Stewart and Lancaster first started dating in 1999, when she was 28 and he was 54. Stewart had been married twice before and had six children with four women by that point. They eventually married and share two sons.

Although Stewart appears to spend a lot of time in the US, Lancaster’s work sees her based in the UK for appearances on Loose Women and for her role as special constable for the City of London police .

Earlier this year, Lancaster told The Times, that Stewart – who has admitted he has never stayed with a partner long enough to see them go through menopause – had been “shocked” as she threw plates across the room when suffering from the condition. She explained he had supported her in accessing help from her doctor.

“Rod said, ‘Right, we’ve got to get you to the doctor’s. You can’t carry on like this. There’s got to be an answer. There’s got to be something,’” she said.