Camelia Kath is best known through two very different chapters of her life: her marriage to Chicago guitarist Terry Kath and her later marriage to actor Kiefer Sutherland. Yet reducing her story to famous husbands misses much of the available record. Kath was an actress in her own right, appearing in films including Terror on Tour, Fake-Out, and The Killing Time. She also became an important figure in Terry Kath’s legacy through her daughter, Michelle Kath Sinclair, and the 2016 documentary The Terry Kath Experience.
Her connection to Sutherland also became part of Hollywood history. They married when he was only 20, had a daughter together, and divorced in 1990. Years later, Kath appeared publicly alongside her daughter during the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of the Terry Kath documentary, offering a glimpse into a family story that continued long after her first two marriages ended.
Quick Bio
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Camelia Kath; later credited as Camelia Lynne |
| Born | September 22, 1953, according to IMDb |
| Birthplace | Puerto Rico |
| Profession | Actress, writer and stylist |
| Known For | Terror on Tour, Fake-Out, The Killing Time, and her connection to Terry Kath and Kiefer Sutherland |
| First Husband | Terry Kath |
| Second Husband | Kiefer Sutherland |
| Children | Michelle Kath Sinclair and Sarah Sutherland |
| Current Public Name | Camelia Lynne |
| Later Marriage | Jeff Lynne, 2017 |
Biographical databases identify Kath as an actress and writer, while public records and entertainment coverage document her marriages and family connections. Her public profile has remained relatively low-key compared with those of the musicians and actors associated with her.
Who Is Camelia Kath?
Camelia Kath is an American actress and writer whose public life became closely connected with major figures in music and Hollywood. She was married first to Terry Kath, a founding member of the rock band Chicago, and later to Kiefer Sutherland, who went on to become internationally known for 24 and numerous films.
Kath’s own screen career was relatively small but notable. Her listed credits include Terror on Tour (1980), Fake-Out (1982), and The Killing Time (1987). In The Killing Time, she appeared alongside Sutherland, making the film an especially interesting entry in their shared professional history.
Unlike many celebrity spouses, Kath did not build a long-running public career around her relationships. Much of what is known about her comes from contemporary entertainment reporting, film credits, and her involvement in preserving Terry Kath’s musical legacy.
Her Marriage to Terry Kath and Life Before Hollywood Fame
Terry Kath was a founding member of Chicago and became particularly respected for his guitar playing and distinctive voice. Kath married him before he died in 1978, and the couple had a daughter, Michelle.
Terry Kath died at age 31 in January 1978 after accidentally shooting himself while handling a firearm. The tragedy left Camelia Kath a young widow and Michelle without her father during early childhood. Contemporary accounts and later material about Terry Kath’s life have continued to examine the circumstances surrounding his death and the impact it had on his family.
For years, Terry’s daughter knew her father largely through memories, photographs and stories from people who had known him. That changed decades later when Michelle Kath Sinclair began working on The Terry Kath Experience, a documentary exploring her father’s life, music and personality.
Camelia was among the people featured in that project. The official Terry Kath documentary material identifies her as a contributor, alongside former Chicago members and musicians including Danny Seraphine, James Pankow, Robert Lamm, Peter Cetera and others.
Camelia Kath and Kiefer Sutherland’s First Marriage
The next major chapter began when Kath met Kiefer Sutherland in the 1980s. They married on September 12, 1987. Sutherland was 20 at the time, while Kath was 34, making their 14-year age difference a point of public interest.
The marriage lasted until 1990. During that period, Sutherland was still establishing himself as a young actor, with films such as Stand by Me, The Lost Boys and Young Guns helping build his profile. A 1988 Los Angeles Times profile described Kath as an actress-producer and noted that she had a daughter from her earlier marriage to Terry Kath.
Their marriage produced one child, Sarah Jude Sutherland, who was born in Los Angeles in February 1988. Sarah later became an actress herself and is best known for playing Catherine Meyer on the HBO comedy series Veep.
Sutherland also became Michelle’s stepfather. In later interviews, he has spoken warmly about that relationship and about how becoming a father at such a young age forced him to take responsibility early in life. In 2016, he described Michelle as an important part of his life, decades after his marriage to her mother had ended.
Family, Children and the Terry Kath Legacy
Family is arguably the most important link between Kath’s different chapters. Her daughter Michelle eventually became the driving force behind The Terry Kath Experience, a documentary released after its development and festival appearances in 2016.
The film was not simply a biography of a rock guitarist. It was also a daughter’s attempt to understand the father she lost when she was very young. Michelle interviewed relatives, Chicago bandmates, friends and other musicians to reconstruct Terry Kath’s life beyond the familiar image of a celebrated guitarist.
Camelia’s participation gave the documentary an especially personal dimension. She had lived alongside Terry and could provide memories unavailable to a child who was only two when her father died. The documentary’s official timeline also includes comments attributed to Camelia about Terry’s personality, interests and ambitions.
Kiefer Sutherland’s continued connection to the family also became visible during the documentary’s public life. Getty Images records Sutherland, Kath and Michelle appearing together at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival premiere.
Acting Career and Work Beyond Her Marriages
It is easy to overlook Kath’s professional work because her relationships dominate searches for her name. Her acting credits, however, show that she was active in entertainment independently of those marriages.
Her screen work includes Terror on Tour, Fake-Out, and The Killing Time. The latter is particularly notable because it featured Kiefer Sutherland during the same period in which they were married. IMDb also credits Kath as a writer and identifies her later professional name as Camelia Lynne.
Her later work also appears to have included styling. A record connected with Jeff Lynne’s 2017 tour lists Camelia Kath as a stylist, suggesting that her professional involvement in entertainment extended beyond acting.
That broader career context matters because it presents Kath as more than a celebrity spouse. Her work was relatively low-profile, but she had her own connection to film, television and the entertainment industry.
What Is Camelia Kath Doing Now?
Public information about Kath’s private life is limited, so treat claims about her current day-to-day activities with caution. Public records show she later became associated with British musician Jeff Lynne, founder of the Electric Light Orchestra.
IMDb lists Kath as having married Jeff Lynne on September 19, 2017, and later public appearances have shown them together. Getty Images has also documented Kath with Lynne at music-industry events, including the Nordoff Robbins O2 Silver Clef Awards and a Los Angeles screening connected with The Terry Kath Experience.
Her appearance at the documentary events matters because it shows her connection to Terry Kath’s legacy remained meaningful decades after his death. At the same time, reliable public evidence is scarce to support detailed claims about her finances, private home life, or personal routine.
Conclusion
Camelia Kath has lived through several remarkable chapters of entertainment history, but her story is more nuanced than the labels attached to her. She was the widow of Terry Kath, the first wife of Kiefer Sutherland, an actress with a handful of screen credits, and the mother of two daughters whose lives developed in very different directions.
Her connection to Terry Kath remains particularly important because Michelle Kath Sinclair has worked to document her father’s life through The Terry Kath Experience. Her later relationship with Jeff Lynne also connected her to another major figure in British and international music.
Although much of Kath’s private life remains outside the public record, the documented pieces reveal someone whose life intersected with influential musicians, actors and filmmakers across several decades. That makes her story interesting in its own right—not simply because of the famous men she married, but because of the family and cultural legacy surrounding her.
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(FAQs)
Who is Camelia Kath?
Camelia Kath is an actress and writer who was married first to Chicago guitarist Terry Kath and later to actor Kiefer Sutherland. She has two daughters associated with those relationships: Michelle Kath Sinclair, her daughter with Terry Kath, and actress Sarah Sutherland, her daughter with Kiefer Sutherland. She has also been publicly associated with musician Jeff Lynne since their 2017 marriage.
How old is Camelia Kath?
Camelia Kath was born on September 22, 1953, according to IMDb. That makes her 72 years old as of August 2026. Some online biographies contain conflicting details, so her date of birth is best attributed to the available biographical database rather than treated as independently confirmed.
Was Camelia Kath married to Kiefer Sutherland?
Yes. Camelia Kath married Kiefer Sutherland on September 12, 1987, when he was 20, and she was 34. They had one daughter, Sarah Sutherland, before divorcing in 1990. Sutherland also became stepfather to Kath’s daughter Michelle from her marriage to Terry Kath.
Who was Terry Kath?
Terry Kath was a founding member, guitarist, and vocalist of the rock band Chicago. Fellow musicians highly regarded him for his guitar playing, and he died accidentally in 1978 at age 31. His daughter Michelle later created The Terry Kath Experience to explore his life and legacy.
Does Camelia Kath have children?
Yes. She has two daughters. Michelle Kath Sinclair was born during her marriage to Terry Kath, while Sarah Sutherland was born during her marriage to Kiefer Sutherland in 1988. Michelle became involved in preserving her father’s legacy through The Terry Kath Experience, while Sarah pursued an acting career.
Is Camelia Kath married to Jeff Lynne?
Public biographical and entertainment sources identify Camelia Kath as Jeff Lynne’s wife, with their marriage dated to September 2017. Kath has also appeared publicly with Lynne at music-related events.
